Mortgage rates made little movement this week amidst the backdrop of a Federal Reserve meeting and a sluggish housing market. A stock sell-off and a barrage of back-and-forth over executive

Contracts to buy U.S. previously owned homes fell in December to snap a four-month streak of increases, with particularly sharp declines in the pricier Northeast and West regions as higher mortgage interest rates dented affordability.

The market sputtered amid high mortgage rates, high prices, and homeowners with lower rates who have no plans to move.

The Federal Reserve decided to delay additional rate cuts for now and keep interest rates unchanged at its first meeting of the year, giving themselves time to assess whether inflation is cooling and how President Donald Trump’s policies might impact the U.S. economy.

NAR forecasts mortgage rates to stabilize near 6% in 2025, likely establishing a new normal. Inventory will gradually grow.

The major U.S. index futures are currently pointing to a roughly flat open on Friday, with stocks likely to show a lack of direction

The existing-home sales slump coupled with a strong tally in new-home sales means that new homes now account for 14.4% of all transactions.

Sales of previously owned homes in the U.S. rose for the third straight month in December, entering 2025 after the worst year in nearly three decades.

The average sale price for a home in Minnesota rose to $404,512 in 2024 – an increase of 4.1%, compared to $388,602 in 2023.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday after hitting new highs following Donald Trump’s return to the White House earlier in the week while investors looked forward to the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.

The China stock market has finished higher in two straight sessions, improving almost 40 points or 1.2 percent along the way. The

The Japanese stock market on Friday halted the four-day winning streak in which it had accelerated more than 1,500 points or 3.8