• Research Note | June 2, 2021

    Rural Home Purchases Outpaced Urban Purchases Through the 2010s

    The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in homeowner mobility. There has been a growing trend of moving away from urban areas as housing preferences have shifted towards larger homes that are more conducive to remote work and virtual learning. More

    Exhibit 1a: Showing color bar graphs showing home purchases increasing most in rural areas between 2010 and 2019
  • Research Note | May 12, 2021

    Almost 50% of Black and Hispanic Borrowers Could Save $1,200 Annually by Refinancing

    The recent record low mortgage interest rates provide many borrowers with an opportunity to save thousands of dollars by lowering their mortgage rate through refinancing. But a closer look at who is refinancing demonstrates that many borrowers who could benefit from refinancing still aren’t pursuing the option. More

    Table chart showing mortgage rates for older versus newer loans
  • Research Note | May 7, 2021

    Housing Supply: A Growing Deficit

    In a recent "Perspectives" piece about the housing supply shortage, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist, Sam Khater highlighted the growing deficit that the industry has been facing, not only during the pandemic but even before the pandemic hit. More

    Exhibit 1: Showing updated target housing stock
  • Forecast | April 14, 2021

    Quarterly Forecast: As the Economy Recovers, the Housing Market Remains Healthy While Mortgage Rates Move Up

    Availability of the vaccine continues to improve, and COVID-19 restrictions are easing therefore sparking economic growth. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included payments of up to $1,400 for individuals, $2,800 for married couples plus $1,400 for each dependent, consumer confidence in March reached the highest level since the start of the pandemic. More

    Table chart of Forecast: April 2021 Snapshot
  • Consumer Research | March 22, 2021

    Confidence in Housing Market High as Concerns about Finances Linger

    New Freddie Mac research shows the uncertainty renters and homeowners have about their ability to pay their rent or mortgage during the pandemic. More

    Confidence in the housing market has remained high, averaging 60% across the polling period
  • Research Note | March 5, 2021

    Refinance Trends in 2020

    This past year was a busy year for the mortgage market. While the economy was in recession, record low mortgage interest rates contributed to refinance activity reaching near record highs. Many borrowers saved thousands of dollars by lowering their mortgage rate through refinances. This Research Note highlights some of the key trends defining refinance mortgage activity in 2020. More

    U.S. Single-family mortgage refinance originations (2020, US Dollars, billions)

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