Housing Market Momentum Builds Early in 2026
New HousingWire metrics point to stronger buyer activity, modest price stability and expanding inventory as early 2026 gets underway.
WASHINGTON — With buyer demand strengthening as house prices stabilize and inventory rises, the housing mark appears to be improving, according to HousingWire's latest Housing Market Tracker.
The tracker shows weekly pending home sales climbing steadily through January, with week-over-week and year-over-year gains for Jan. 23 when weekly pending homes sales totaled 56,252.
Mortgage purchase applications rose 5% week over week and 18% year over year. Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for HousingWire, said, "My work over the years indicates that housing demand strengthens when rates approach 6%, though we have not seen a sustained period at this level recently. 2026 may be the first year this trend holds."
Inventory has expanded to a supply of about 2.6 months, a level that remains seller-favorable while supporting a more functional market. With thawing buyer demand, new listings are expected to build transaction flow.
For the week ending Jan. 23, 53,920 new listings came to market, compared with 50,946 during the same week in 2025. The median list price stood at $419,900, up slightly from $419,000 the prior week, but 33.6% of active listings experienced price reductions. If mortgage rates remain stable, housing market movement could turn favorable.
Source: HousingWire (01/26/26) Bader, Rachel
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