Peggy Wiegand- Real Estate Professional

09/01/2026

Market Recap: presented by Carter Lovelace

The weekly ADP employment update showed that private payrolls increased by 11,800 for the week ending 8/21, up from 9,500 the week before.
The FHFA House Price Index was unchanged month-over-month in June, below expectations for a 0.2% increase and the prior 0.3% gain. Home prices increased 2.3% year-over-year, slightly below the prior 2.4% increase.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index increased 0.4% month-over-month in June, while prices rose 2.1% year-over-year, above expectations for a 1.8% increase and the prior 1.6% gain.
Consumer confidence slipped to 89.4 in August, below expectations for 90.3 and the prior reading of 90.2.
New home sales fell 10.5% month-over-month in July to an annualized rate of 607,000, below expectations for 620,000 and down from 678,000 in the prior month.
Mortgage application submissions slipped 1.0% during the week ending 8/21, following a 0.4% decline the week before. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased by 0.3% from the previous week, while the Refinance Index decreased by 2.0%.
Gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the second quarter, in line with expectations but below the prior 2.1% increase.
Continuing jobless claims declined to 1,778,000, below expectations for 1,790,000 and the prior level of 1,796,000, for the week ending 8/15. Initial jobless claims fell to 203,000, below expectations for 208,000 and the prior level of 207,000, for the week ending 8/22.
Personal income increased 0.4% month-over-month in July, above expectations for a 0.2% increase and the prior 0.2% gain, while consumer spending rose 0.2%, above expectations for 0.1% but below the prior 0.3% increase. The core PCE price index increased 0.2% month-over-month, in line with expectations and up from 0.1% previously, while the annual rate held at 3.3%, matching expectations and the prior reading.
The Consumer Sentiment Index slipped to 51.7 in August, down from the previous reading of 55.2, but slightly above the expected 51.0.

06/01/2026

Market Update: Carter Lovelace

The FHFA House Price Index increased 0.1% month-over-month in March, matching expectations and rebounding from a 0.1% decline in February. Home prices were up 1.7% year-over-year, unchanged from the prior annual pace, while the index level increased to 441.5 from 441.2.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index showed mixed results in March. Seasonally adjusted prices slipped 0.2% month-over-month, compared with a 0.1% decline previously, while non-seasonally adjusted prices increased 1.0% from the prior month. Annual price growth came in at 0.8%, slightly below the 0.9% expected and prior reading.
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased to 93.1 in May, topping expectations of 91.9 despite easing slightly from April’s level of 93.8.
Mortgage application submissions fell 8.5% during the week ending 5/22, following a 2.3% decline in the prior week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 0.4%, while the Refinance Index declined 18.1%.
Building permits were revised to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,423,000 in April, below expectations of 1,442,000 but above the prior reading of 1,363,000. Permits increased 4.4% month-over-month, rebounding from an 11.4% decline in March.
The second estimate of first-quarter GDP showed the economy expanded at a 1.6% annualized pace, below expectations of 2.0% but above the prior estimate of 0.5%. GDP sales increased 1.5%, while the GDP Price Index rose 3.5%.
Personal income was unchanged in April, missing expectations for a 0.4% increase and slowing from a 0.5% gain in March. Personal spending increased 0.5%, matching expectations, while the Core PCE Price Index rose 0.2% month-over-month and 3.3% year-over-year. The headline PCE Price Index increased 0.4% from March and 3.8% from a year earlier.
Continuing jobless claims rose to 1,786,000 for the week ending 5/16, above expectations of 1,780,000 and up from 1,771,000 the previous week. Initial jobless claims increased to 215,000 for the week ending 5/23, exceeding expectations of 211,000 and up from 210,000 the prior week.
New home sales fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 622,000 in April, below expectations of 661,000 and down from 663,000 in March. Sales declined 6.2% month-over-month following a 3.4% increase in the prior month.

05/04/2026

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713.392.3974 or reach me via email: [email protected]

04/16/2026

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The most successful brokers are shaping demand. Here’s how thought leadership is changing how buyers and sellers choose who to trust.

04/15/2026

https://share.google/P2W7jFu3sDlQepLkh

The National Association of REALTORS® has settled to resolve nationwide homebuyer claims tied to buyer-agent commission litigation.

04/10/2026

04/09/2026

Houston Agent Magazine article:

Houston is one of the best markets for first-time homebuyers
by Emily Marek April 02, 2026
Houston is the No. 5 market in the United States for first-time homebuyers this spring, according to a new Zillow analysis.

The listing platform ranked the 50 largest U.S. metros by metrics including rental affordability, for-sale inventory and demographics to determine the best areas to break into the housing market.

In Houston, renters spend a median 22.7% of their income on housing — anything less than 30% is considered affordable — allowing flexibility to save for a down payment. In the least accessible first-time markets, like New York, renters spend up to 37.1% of their income.

The city also boasts 3.1 affordable home listings per 100 renter households, with 40.2% of all listings affordable to median-income households.

Finally, the city has an above-average population of residents aged 29 to 43 — a prime homebuying cohort, Zillow said, which is an important factor for young homebuyers looking to live in a community of their peers.

“First-time buyers are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel,” Zillow Senior Economist Orphe Divounguy said in a news release. “Affordability is still a challenge, but rising incomes, stabilizing prices and improving inventory are creating real opportunities in parts of the country.”

Divounguy added that the top markets are less competitive, offering a “clearer path to homeownership” for first-timers.

Houston ranks #5 out the top 10 places.