Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development recently announced that the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac will adopt new mortgage credit score models, including VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T. The update aims to lower borrowing costs and expand access to homeownership, especially for overlooked borrowers. The move advances the Credit Score Competition Act of 2018, increasing competition, flexibility, and modernizing mortgage underwriting. ““By embracing additional predictive credit scoring models, we are taking a meaningful step toward expanding access to homeownership – particularly for creditworthy borrowers who may have been overlooked under older systems…This exciting announcement is…

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), home prices rose 0.2% in February, 2026 and  were up 1.7% year-over-year.  The FHFA HPI is the nation’s only collection of public, freely available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data from all 50 states and over 400 American cities that extend back to the mid-1970s. Click here to read the full report at the FHFA.

The U.S. government is reporting that the national vacancy rates for Q1 2026 were 7.3% for rental housing and 1.1% for homeowner housing.  The national homeownership rate for Q1 2026 was 65.3%.  In addition, approximately 89.7% of the housing units in the United States in Q1 were occupied and 10.3% were vacant. Owner-occupied housing units made up 58.6% of total housing units, while renter-occupied units made up 31.2% of the inventory.  Vacant year-round units comprised 8% of total housing units, while 2.3% were vacant for seasonal use. Click here to read the full release at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Today’s graphic literally stinks….. The folks over at Orkin recently illustrated one of the most unwanted pests that has invaded many parts of the country – stink bugs.  These things truly stink (especially when crushed) and are serious agricultural pests as well as feeding on plants that grow close to homes and other buildings.  Orkin says they were introduced in 1998 and have spread rapidly ever since.  As always, stay safe, don’t squash any of these bugs, and have a Happy Friday!!! “Brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSBs) are native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. They were unintentionally introduced into…

According to the NAR’s 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, baby Boomers remained the largest generational group of home buyers this year, while the share of first-time buyers fell to the lowest level on record.  Their report examines the similarities and differences among recent home buyers and sellers across generations. Here are some key findings: Among all home buyers here is the generational breakdown: Gen Z:  4% (up from 3% last year) Millennials:  26% (down from 29% last year). Gen X:  25% (up from 24% in 2025) Baby Boomers:  42% (unchanged from last year) Silent Generation:  4% (unchanged…

We once had innovative post about using shipping containers for swimming pools, now comes a recent story on Realtor.com about a new short-term rental community made of Boxabls – which are factory-built, foldable, modular housing.  The community is being built in Stillwater, OK by a builder specializing in tiny homes.  Indeed… “The housing industry is facing a massive labor shortage, and factory-built homes like Boxabl are the smart, scalable solution,” he says. “As more people experience the quality, speed, and cost advantages, I think you’ll see Boxabl communities popping up all over—especially for affordable housing, ADUs, and hospitality projects like…

According to the latest ICE Mortgage Monitor, the national delinquency rate rose by 7 bps in February to 3.72%, driven by a 4% seasonal rise in early (30-day) delinquencies and a 3% rise in seriously delinquent (90-plus day) loans.  Their data show 878k loans are severely delinquent or in foreclosure – a sharp rise (+175k, +25%) over the past four months and the largest such volume since June 2018 (excluding the pandemic).  FHA loans accounted for more than 80% of the recent increase, with seriously past due FHA loan volumes up by more than 40% over that span, compared with…

According to the latest Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI), U.S. single-family home rental prices increased 1.1% year over year in February, 2026.  They says this increase is a pronounced slowdown in pace from the 2.6% increase they saw between February 2024 and 2025, and it is one-third of the pre-2020 average of 3.3%. “While it looks like rent increases have slowed significantly more for lower-income renters, when you look back at the last five years, rent growth is similar across all price tiers, highlighting how broadly gains were distributed earlier in the cycle. Higher-end rentals continue to show…

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales were up 1.5% in March and down 1.1% year over year.  The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) came in at 73.7 in March.  They say sales improved slightly, with sales rising in the Northeast and South, and declining in the Midwest and West. “Contract signings rose in March despite higher mortgage rates, pointing to pent-up housing demand…A greater supply of inventory will help translate that demand into more home sales.”  Said the NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun. Click here to read the…

According to ATTOM’s Q1 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were 118,727, residential properties with foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions) up 6% from Q4 2025 and up 26% from a year ago.  In addition, ATTOM says there were a total of 45,921 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings in March 2026, up 18% from February and up 28% from a year ago. “Foreclosure activity increased in the first quarter, with both starts and completed foreclosures posting solid year-over-year gains…While volumes remain below historical peaks, the continued rise, especially in starts and bank repossessions, suggests financial pressure may…