Zillow: March Brings Buyers Back To The Market

Buyers could be enticed back to the housing market in time for the spring buying season.

That’s according to a new analysis from Zillow, which found that market conditions have rebounded in buyers’ favor over the course of the month.

Rates are sitting at their lowest point since December 2024, while annual home value growth has cooled to an 18-month low of 2.1%. Plus, inventory is improving across the country, with a total of 1.04 million homes up for sale last month, the most for this time of year since 2020.

With all this plus receding demand, buyers have more power to be picky and negotiate a great deal.

“Affordability is still a massive challenge for those who have been waiting to buy a home, but the lower rates we’ve seen so far in March are taking the edge off,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow chief economist.

“Rate dips tend to energize buyers and sellers both; if they continue or hold, we should see more activity. Economic uncertainty is a counterbalance, one that will be felt in some areas of the country more than others. People tend to shelter in place when the future of their job or industry is uncertain.”

But it’s not a total buyer’s market yet. Sellers can still expect premiums on their sales through at least July, Zillow says, making it a great moment for both parties.

Demand moving forward will be impacted by the Central Bank’s rate decisions this month, however. The FOMC meets this week to decide on its next move.

“The expectation is that the Federal Reserve will likely hold the line on rates in March and May, with markets anticipating a likely rate cut in June,” Andrew Rhodes, Senior Director and Head of Trading at MCT, noted.

Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Memphis are the least competitive markets in the U.S. The best cities for sellers are Buffalo, San Jose, San Francisco, Hartford, and Boston.

source: the mortgage note

< Older Post

Newer Post >

You Could Use Some of Your Equity To Give Your Children the Gift of Home

June 13, 2025

If you’re a homeowner, chances are you’ve built up a lot of wealth – just by living in your house and watching its value grow over time. And that equity? It’s something that could help change your child’s life. Since affordability is still a challenge, a lot of first-time buyers are struggling to buy a home in today’s market. Even if they have a stable job and a solid plan, buying can still feel out of reach. But that’s where your equity could make all the difference. To give you an idea, the average homeowner with a mortgage has $311,000 worth of equity, according to Cotality (formerly CoreLogic). That’s significant. And some parents are using a portion of their equity to help their children become homeowners, too. According to Bank of America, 49% of buyers between 18 and 26 got money from their parents to use toward their down payment (see chart below):

Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

June 13, 2025

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might feel like the odds are stacked against you in today’s market. But there are resources and programs out there that can help – if you know where to look. And one thing that can make homeownership easier to achieve? An FHA home loan. They’re designed to help you overcome some of the biggest financial hurdles in the homebuying process – and that’s why so many first-timers are using them to make their purchase. Whether you’re dreaming of ditching rent , planting roots, or just wanting a place that’s truly yours, an FHA home loan could be the path that gets you there sooner than you think. Buying Your First Home Probably Doesn’t Feel Easy Right Now While the motivation to buy a home is still there for many people, affordability is a real challenge today. According to a survey from 1000WATT, potential first-time buyers say their top two concerns are saving enough for their down payment and making the monthly mortgage payments work at today’s home prices and mortgage rates (see graph below):

Get in touch

Zillow: March Brings Buyers Back To The Market