Mortgage services.

Residential construction activity moved in opposite directions in March, as housing starts posted a strong rebound while building permits fell sharply from the previous month’s elevated pace. The latest Census Bureau report suggests builders accelerated new projects even as future pipeline activity softened. Privately owned housing starts rose 10.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.502 million , up from February’s revised 1.356 million pace. Starts were also 10.8% higher than March 2025 levels. Single-family starts increased 9.7% to 1.032 million, while multifamily starts (buildings with five units or more) came in at 446k. On the permitting side, activity pulled back notably. Total building permits fell 10.8% to an annual rate of 1.372 million , down from February’s revised 1.538 million pace and 7.4% below year-ago levels. Single-family permits declined 3.8% to 895k, while multifamily authorizations dropped to 427k. In general, there's no point in reading too much into month-to-month volatility in this data series. What's important is that there's been a decent, supportive floor of construction activity seen in 2024-2025 and a general upward trend since October, 2025. Housing completions were essentially flat for the month, edging up 0.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.366 million . Despite the monthly stability, completions were 12.8% lower than the same time last year. Single-family completions fell 4.8% to 896k, while multifamily completions reached 452k.

Mortgage applications eased modestly last week, giving back a small portion of the prior week’s sharp gains as rates moved slightly higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.6% decrease on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending April 24. The pullback was driven by softer refinance demand, while purchase activity continued to improve. The Refinance Index fell 4% from the previous week but remained 51% higher than the same week one year ago. Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1% week over week and stood 21% above last year’s level. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased slightly to 6.37% from 6.35%, contributing to the decline in refinance activity. Even so, steady inventory gains and resilient demand appear to be supporting buyers during the spring market. MBA’s Mike Fratantoni said, " Mortgage rates increased slightly last week, with the 30-year fixed rate rising to 6.37 percent... More notably, purchase application activity was more than 20 percent above last year’s pace... potential homebuyers certainly appear to be moving forward this spring and taking advantage of the more favorable inventory conditions in most parts of the country. " Application composition shifted further away from refinancing, with refinance share declining to 42.5% from 44.2% the prior week. ARM share increased to 8.3% . FHA share fell to 17.2% , while VA share held steady at 15.0% and USDA share remained unchanged at 0.5% .

Home price appreciation remained subdued in early 2026, according to the latest data from both FHFA and S&P Cotality Case-Shiller. The two reports show prices still edging higher nationally, but with momentum slowing further as affordability constraints and elevated mortgage rates continue to weigh on the market. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted House Price Index was unchanged in February from the prior month, following an upwardly revised 0.2% gain in January . On an annual basis, prices were up 1.7% versus February 2025, slightly below the pace seen in prior months and consistent with a cooling appreciation trend. Regional FHFA data showed continued divergence across the country. Monthly price changes ranged from -1.1% in the Mountain division to +0.6% in the South Atlantic division. Over the past year, appreciation ranged from -0.7% in the Mountain region to +4.2% in the Middle Atlantic, highlighting a growing split between softer Western markets and firmer Northeastern areas. The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index posted a 0.7% year-over-year gain in February, down from 0.8% previously and marking another step lower in annual appreciation. The 10-City Composite rose 1.5% , while the 20-City Composite increased 0.9% , both slowing from January readings.