Stephanie Duhigg Real Estate

02/02/2026

Last Week's Mortgage Rate Recap:
Rates still low

Mortgage rates stayed low last week but didn’t move any lower. With the Fed holding policy rates steady and no surprises from the meeting or Fed Chair Powell's press conference, markets had little to react to, keeping mortgage rates stable through the week.


This Week's Mortgage Rate Forecast:
Rates could be volatile

Markets will be watching several labor market reports this week, but mortgage rates may not react as strongly as they usually do because there’s still a lot more data coming before the Fed meets again in March. Rates are likely to stay low, though probably not quite as low as they were a couple of weeks ago.

What's affecting rates this week:
Labor market data:
A number of labor market reports are coming out this week, including job openings, layoffs, private payrolls, and unemployment claims. The most important report will be Friday’s BLS jobs data, which includes unemployment, job growth, and wage information that could affect mortgage rates this week.

Economic data:
A few additional reports will be released this week that could cause small day-to-day changes in mortgage rates, but nothing that’s expected to push rates meaningfully higher or lower.

01/26/2026

2026 Housing Market: Rebound, But Not Boom! 💥

📊After a tough few years for home sales, economists see 2026 as a year of recovery, not collapse.
• NAR forecasts ~14% rise in home sales next year if mortgage rates continue to ease.
• Other data shows more modest increases in sales and prices with steady improvement, not a frenzy.
• Mortgage rates near ~6% are starting to help affordability slowly improve.

Bottom line:
📊 2026 isn’t a return to 2021’s boom, but it is shaping up to be better than 2025, especially if rates fall further. Buyers and sellers both stand to benefit from more balanced conditions.

01/25/2026

On September 24, 2025, it was announced that demolition of the former mall would be completed and that construction on The Metropolitan would start in April 2026 for 3 of the 5 planned residential communities.

The last two planned residential communities will begin construction in April 2027.

It was also announced that the future apartment complex, Levante, is expected to have 350 apartment units.

There will also be about 800–1,000 townhomes in The Metropolitan.

The Loop at The Metropolitan will be a retail and entertainment district with retail, rooftop restaurants, an event center, an amphitheater, a park plaza, and a weekly farmers market.

The Track at the Loop will have a landscaped pedestrian walkway and a multi-directional bike pathway which encircles The Metropolian.

The project is being led by Concord Wilshire Capital, Oakwood Homes, and Diversified Partners.
https://youtu.be/uqtT_CkHS0I

For decades, Metrocenter was one of Phoenix’s most recognizable landmarks, Arizona’s first air conditioned two-story mall. Now, its transformation is about t...

01/24/2026

President Trump signed an order restricting large Wall Street firms from buying single‑family homes, designed to make homes more affordable by reducing big investor competition.
This could influence investor interest and pricing dynamics if it passes enforcement/regulatory actions.
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-signs-order-restrict-wall-street-firms-buying-single-family-homes-2026-01-21/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to restrict large institutional investors from competing with individual homebuyers in an effort to make housing more affordable, the White House said.

01/24/2026

BUYER'S NOW is the Time to Buy!

Analysts expect a steadier footing and improving affordability conditions ahead!
Housing market will warm up in 2026, economists say:
Here’s why......
https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/housing-market-will-warm-up-in-2026-economists-say-heres-why/

Economists expect 2026 to bring steadier footing to the housing market as affordability improves and the ways Americans want to live evolves.

01/14/2026

01/14/2026

Last Week's Mortgage Rate Recap: Rates moved lower

Mortgage rates took a big step lower on Friday after markets reacted to a social post by President Trump saying he would instruct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds. The announcement overshadowed the jobs data and quickly shifted market focus. While no details have been released and no purchases have occurred yet, mortgage rates have already begun pricing in the expected bond buying.

This Week's Mortgage Rate Forecast: Rates could be volatile

Mortgage rates may be volatile this week, depending on if more details come out about the proposed bond purchases or if traders start to doubt the moves and shed some of the mortgage bonds purchased last week. If no new information comes out, rates will possibly creep up a bit this week. It is important this week to act with urgency and speak with your mortgage professional, these rates may not hold long.

What's affecting rates this week:
Mortgage bond market: Mortgage rates are currently pricing in expectations of coming mortgage bond purchases, and any news about this plan could affect rates.
CPI inflation data: Not as big of a market mover as usual, but still could affect mortgage rates this week.

12/01/2025

Last Week's Mortgage Rate Recap: Rates improved

Mortgage rates continued to improve last week ahead of the holiday, and although rates only moved slightly lower, they were near the best levels seen since October.

This Week's Mortgage Rate Forecast: Rates could worsen

Rates may creep back up a bit this week, or at best will likely stay near current levels. It's tough to imagine mortgage rates can move much lower in the next couple of weeks, especially understanding that mortgage rates already reflect expectations that the Fed will cut policy rates one more time at its December meeting.

What's affecting rates this week:
Economic data: This week should have been a week filled with important labor market data ahead of next week's Fed meeting, but due to the government shutdown, most of the reports have been delayed until later this month. However, there is still some data this week that could influence mortgage rates depending on how strong it shows the labor market and economy to be.

The Fed: Markets are currently betting on a Fed policy rate cut at its next meeting, which is why mortgage rates have moved lower from earlier in November. If anything were to cause doubt about a coming cut, it could pressure mortgage rates slightly higher once again.
Thank you, Jeremy Strunk!

11/18/2025

Arizona Housing Report ~ October 2025!

11/12/2025

If you’ve not heard of LPT Realty yet, you soon will know!
I have been with LPT since February 2024. If you want to find out what all the buzz is about, let’s connect! ☎️

11/07/2025

Data share to benefit 11K+ MLS subscribers
Four MLSs in Arizona have agreed to share data in a new partnership that the organizations said will provide real-time listings information to their combined 11,700 subscribers.

The participating MLSs are: Northern Arizona Association of Realtors, Prescott Area Association of Realtors, White Mountain Association of Realtors and the Multiple Listing Service of Southern Arizona (MLSSAZ).

Flexmls, which supports all four MLSs, will automatically activate the data share on Nov. 10, according to a news release. The platform will feature a new section on its Quick Search screen, through which subscribers will be able to access listings data outside their own MLS but within the areas covered by the new partnership.

The data share "is a step in the direction of future collaboration that will enhance data access to each MLS Subscriber," said Romeo Arrieta, CEO of MLSSAZ and of the Tucson Association of Realtors. "This opportunity provides additional value and choices to agents and their clients buying and selling homes in Arizona."

10/23/2025

Arizona Rentals Stay Hot for Investors in 2025