Existing Home Sales Up 5.8% in December

by Phil Hall | Jan 14, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

December’s existing home sales were up by 5.1% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Compared to one year earlier, sales were up by 1.4% Month-over-month sales...

FHFA’s Pulte Threatens Builders Over Stock Repurchasing

by Phil Hall | Jan 14, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte has made an unsubtle threat against home builders if they continue making stock repurchases. In a Wall Street Journal interview, Pulte accused builders of intentionally keeping home prices elevated and called...

Alec Baldwin Shoots Down the Price on Hamptons Mansion

by Phil Hall | Jan 14, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Actor Alec Baldwin has reduced the price of his 8.28-acre Hamptons estate one month after relisting it. Realtor.com reports the five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom residence in Amagansett, New York, was back on the market last month for $21 million – it was first listed for...

Mortgages Above 6% Now Exceed Share of Mortgages Below 3%

by Phil Hall | Jan 14, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

The share of homeowners carrying mortgage rates above 6% has surpassed the share of those holding mortgages with rates below 3%, according to a new data report from Realtor.com. Mortgage rates have been above 6% since September 2022 and peaked at 7.04% in January...

Mortgage Application Activity Soars by 28.5%

by Phil Hall | Jan 14, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Mortgage application activity soared during the week ending Jan. 9, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The data included an adjustment for the New Year’s Day holiday. The Market Composite Index, the MBA’s measure of mortgage loan...