REI Lense Blog – page 2
Mortgage rates near 7.4% slow home sales in pockets of the U.S. — why prices still feel stuck
Mortgage rates near 7.4% are cooling home sales in many regions while prices stay sticky. Here’s what new data says about demand, inventory and price cuts.
6 min read
Mortgage Rates Above 7% Are Driving More Price Cuts—Even as Inventory Improves
Rates above 7% are cooling buyer demand, increasing price cuts, and slowing pending deals even as inventory improves across U.S. housing markets.
7 min read
Regional Home Price Divergence Is Widening as 7%+ Mortgage Rates Hit Demand
With mortgage rates above 7%, price cuts are rising in select metros like Denver while national prices are only modestly higher, creating a patchwork slowdown.
7 min read
Phoenix Home Prices Beat Inflation by 177%—Even as Price Cuts Spread in Other U.S. Metros
Phoenix home prices have outpaced inflation by 177% over 15 years, even as higher mortgage rates drive more price cuts and buyer leverage in other metros.
6 min read
Mortgage rates jump, demand slows: why price cuts and builder incentives are back in fall 2026
Mortgage rates jumped toward the mid-7% range, cooling buyer demand and pushing sellers and builders to price cuts and concessions to keep deals moving.
7 min read
Early Signs of Home Price Cooling: More Cuts, Softer Pending Sales, and a 7%+ Mortgage Rate Reality
Affordability remains tight as mortgage rates move above 7%, pushing more sellers to cut prices and early demand indicators like pending sales to soften in many U.S. metros.
7 min read
More home sellers cut prices as pending sales cool: what September data says (and where it’s showing up)
September housing data show more U.S. sellers cutting list prices as pending sales soften under high mortgage rates, with big differences by metro.
6 min read
U.S. Home Prices Are Still Rising—But Inflation Is Winning, and Metro Gaps Are Growing
July home prices rose modestly, but inflation outpaced appreciation and metro-level gaps widened. What the latest data means for buyers and sellers.
7 min read
Diverging Local Home Price Trends: Why Some Metros Are Cutting Prices While Others Keep Climbing
Home-price growth is modest nationally, but metros are diverging as inventory shifts: some markets see declines while others keep rising on tight resale supply.
7 min read
Why Nursing Homes Are Becoming Last-Resort Housing for Unhoused Seniors in the U.S.
Some unhoused older adults are ending up in nursing homes despite low-care needs because accessible, supportive housing is scarce and slow to access.
7 min read
Mortgage Rates Above 7% Are Back—And Cities Are Turning to Local Fixes for Homeownership
As mortgage rates push past 7%, metros are leaning on local fixes—land, nonprofit builds, and affordability report cards—to keep homeownership within reach.
7 min read
Mortgage Rates Above 7% Are Freezing Resales—While Builders Discount to Keep New Homes Moving
Mortgage rates moving above 7% are freezing resale activity, pushing builders toward incentives, and keeping buyer demand pent-up rather than converted into sales.
8 min read
Mortgage Rates Above 7% Are Deepening the Housing Freeze — Even as Buyer Interest Builds
Mortgage rates above 7% are widening the gap between buyer interest and closed sales, shifting leverage toward new builds and incentives like rate buydowns.
7 min read
Mortgage rates near 7% are cooling demand—but why home prices keep rising and builders are cutting margins
Mortgage rates near 7% are cooling demand, but lock-in and limited resale supply keep prices firm—pushing builders to use incentives and accept slimmer margins.
7 min read
Record buyer's market, rising prices: why leverage isn't translating into lower comps
August housing data shows buyers gaining leverage as inventory rises, yet national home prices still edged up. Here’s why concessions and local splits matter.
7 min read
Why More Americans Are Using AI and Alternative Financing to Buy Homes in a ‘Frozen’ Market
Mortgage rates near 7% and still-rising prices are driving buyers toward AI budgeting tools and cash-like strategies to compete.
7 min read
Seller concessions are rising, but buyer leverage is still a neighborhood-by-neighborhood story
Redfin data show seller concessions rising nationally, but buyer leverage is uneven—tight-supply pockets can stay seller-leaning while other segments soften.
7 min read
Rising inventory is creating pocket buyers’ markets (and more seller concessions)
Redfin data show seller concessions rose in August 2026 as listings outpaced buyers in many metros, giving buyers more leverage on terms.
7 min read
Mortgage rates near 7% are cooling demand — and giving buyers leverage again
With mortgage rates near 7%, pending sales are barely rising and more markets are turning buyer-friendly, pushing sellers and builders toward concessions.
6 min read
Mortgage Rates Near 7% Are Forcing Price Cuts—and a Market Reset That’s Different by Metro
With mortgage rates near 7%, pending sales are still down from last year and negotiation is returning. Here’s what the data says and why it varies by metro.
7 min read
Rising Inventory Is Creating Pocket Buyer’s Markets—Why Raleigh and Parts of the Sun Belt Are Softening
Inventory is rebuilding in select U.S. metros, giving buyers more leverage and pressuring prices where demand is most rate-sensitive.
7 min read
Rising inventory and record price cuts: what’s changing in U.S. housing (September 2026)
U.S. inventory is rising and price cuts are spreading, giving buyers more leverage. Here’s what the latest data say and how to interpret it locally.
7 min read
Mortgage rates near 7% are back—why builder 4% buydowns may be delaying new-home price relief
Mortgage rates are nearing 7% again, while builders use 4% buydowns to protect sales—helping payments but potentially delaying visible new-home price cuts.
7 min read
Local housing markets diverge as inventory shifts reshape pricing power
Inventory shifts are driving a patchwork U.S. housing market: price drops in some metros, resilience in others, and big differences even by ZIP code.
6 min read