Mortgage applications declined 1.2% during the week ended Sept. 9, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. 

Modern homes are still the most popular interior design style, according to a new study from Confused.com, a financial services comparison website based in the U.K.

CommercialCafe named Atlanta as the best U.S. city for Gen Z, citing its parks per capita as a particularly strong draw for the active demographic. 

The median price first topped $400,000 in May, when it rose 3.6% from April to hit $409,400. It rose again in June to $411,375 before beginning its retreat last month. 

Nationally, builder confidence posted a steep decline.

In the second quarter, Gwinnett County was once again head and shoulders above its neighbors in terms of housing starts, closings and lot deliveries, according to a new report. 

The online real estate platform Opendoor noted the Dekalb County city’s small-town feel and plentiful outdoor spaces in explaining its selection. 

The modest 1% decline could indicate the current housing cycle is reaching a bottom as mortgage rates recede from their recent high, the National Association of REALTORS® said. 

The median price of a new home sold during the month was up 5.9%, however, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Nationally, the median sales price slid 2.9% from June but rose 8.1% from July 2021, while closed transactions were down 16.6% on a monthly basis and 26.3% on a yearly one, RE/MAX said in its National Housing Report.

A recent decline in mortgage rates could return some purchasing power to buyers going forward, National Association of REALTORS® chief economist Lawrence Yun said. 

The pace of housing starts for both single-family and multifamily residences was down on a month over month basis, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported. 

The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell for the eighth straight month in August, as the key measure of builder confidence indicated a pessimistic outlook. 

Other market metrics, including sales volume, units sold and new listings also declined on a month-over-month basis. 

Home prices were up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis and 0.6% month over month. Looking ahead, CoreLogic expects year-over-year appreciation to slow to 4.3% by June 2023. 

“Contract signings to buy a home will keep tumbling down as long as mortgage rates keep climbing, as has happened this year to date.” — National Association of Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun