December 2025

For years, national stories have characterized the U.S. housing market. Record-low mortgage rates, post-pandemic buying frenzies, the rate-lock effect and affordability constraints were the narratives that dominated housing market conversations. In 2026, however, the national storyline may be less interesting than local tales. The most important drivers of home sales and prices next year will […]

Average mortgage rates drifted slightly higher to end the week, though they remained under the levels seen on Monday and Tuesday. Even then, none of this week’s movement was especially abrupt. That’s interesting considering there was a decent amount of economic data throughout the week. It could be that the rate market is simply waiting

Rithm, Rocket and Dynex are BTIG’s favorite mortgage stocks heading into 2026 following a strong year for the industry’s publicly traded companies in general, driven by an accommodative Federal Reserve policy. That allowed industry stocks to rebound after the “Liberation Day” tariff announcements in April. “We expect earnings and stock valuations across the mortgage sector