ICYMI: PMA's Market News Update

Buying a Home Before 30 Gives Americans a $119K Boost

Purchasing a home before age 30 primes Americans for greater wealth and assets to pass along to the next generation, but that milestone is increasingly out of reach.

A new report from Realtor.com found that buying a home earlier in life acts as a “wealth multiplier,” leading to a 22.5% higher net worth by age 50 than for those who wait until their 40s. That translates to $119,000 more.

Be Ready to List During Mid-April for Higher Home Prices, Lower Competition and a Faster Sale

For home sellers hoping to “time” the market, April 12-18 may offer the best opportunity in 2026, according to a newly released report by realtor.com®. Based on an analysis of housing trends from 2018 to 2025, researchers identified this mid-April window as a “Goldilocks” moment—when prices, demand and competition align in sellers’ favor.

Sellers who list during this week could net about $26,000 more than at the start of the year, the report finds.

Originations Soared In Q4 2025 On Refi Strength

Mortgage originations soared to a multi-year high in Q4 2025, driven by refinance activity that boosted lender retention rates to new highs.

That’s according to ICE’s March 2026 Mortgage Monitor Report, which found that Q4 brought a wave of homeowners newly eligible for refinance, pushing the total by at least 75 bps to 5.4 million. As a result, total mortgage originations climbed to an estimated 1.44 million, the biggest per-quarter push since Q3 2022.

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The Oldest Americans Held More Real Estate Wealth Than Ever Before In 2025

The oldest Americans held 26% of America’s $48 trillion in real estate wealth as of the third quarter of 2025, the most recent period for which data is available. That’s just shy of the prior quarter’s 26.1%—the highest level for 70+ year olds on record—and compares with 21.6% a decade earlier and 16.6% two decades earlier.

This is based on a Redfin analysis of Federal Reserve Board data going back to 1989.

The share of real estate wealth held by 70+ year olds surpassed that of 40-54 year olds for the first time on record during the second quarter of 2025. At that time, 70+ year olds held 26.1% and 40-54 year olds held 25.9%. As of the third quarter, both groups held exactly 26%.

Existing-Home Sales Rose Nationally In February, Down in Northeast Amid Bad Weather

Existing-home sales reversed a January downturn last month as affordability reached its best level since March 2022.

Sales were up 1.7% YOY in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, according to new data from the National Association of REALTORS. Sales were down 1.4% annually, however.