On The Highway

The Fed kept interest rates unchanged as inflation continued to move in the right direction, while the housing market remained resilient with home prices continuing to show strength. Alongside the latest GDP growth and unemployment data, this week's economic updates provide a clearer picture of where the economy stands and what it could mean for mortgage rates, housing, and the broader market.

In this exclusive webinar, Highway + The Loan Atlas will show you how top producers are building their businesses around AI, turning conversations and follow-up into a consistent execution system. Discover what this looks like in practice: the systems top producers are using, how AI is removing day-to-day bottlenecks, and the mindset shift that makes it stick. Resources: https://docs.google.com/do...

New home sales exceeded expectations in June, home prices continued to climb, and geopolitical tensions kept oil markets on edge, while low jobless claims painted a stronger labor market picture than other indicators suggest. Here's a quick look at the key economic stories shaping the week.

Tune in as Scott Brixen breaks down the June 2026 Realtor.com housing data and explains why the national inventory numbers only tell part of the story. While the supply of homes for sale continues to recover, the real story is where that inventory is building, where it's still critically scarce, and what those regional differences could mean for home prices and market conditions in the months ahea...

Tune in as Scott Brixen breaks down the April 2026 Case-Shiller Home Price Report and explains what the latest data reveals about today's housing market. While national home prices appear to be holding steady, the real story lies beneath the surface, where regional trends are creating very different outcomes across the country. Scott unpacks what mortgage and real estate professionals need to know...

June brought encouraging inflation news, while the housing market delivered a mixed picture. Inflation came in below expectations, new home construction rebounded despite ongoing headwinds, pending home sales slowed in June, and consumer spending and unemployment continued to provide important signals about the economy.

After reaching a seasonal high of 47 in May, the MBS Highway National Housing Index continued to cool in July 2026, falling from 38 in June to 32. Buyer activity and home price direction both posted notable month-over-month declines.

Existing home sales slipped slightly in June while home prices continued their seasonal climb, reinforcing the long-term wealth-building benefits of homeownership. Meanwhile, the Fed announced its new Task Force "A-Team," and the latest jobless claims offered another snapshot of labor market conditions.

June's economic data painted a mixed picture, with hiring coming in below expectations while the housing market continued to show resilience. The June jobs report fell short of forecasts, the ADP report pointed to only modest private-sector hiring, and other labor market indicators offered a mixed view of overall employment conditions. At the same time, home prices continued to build on recent gai...

Join Shelly Williams on the latest episode of the On The Highway Podcast as she breaks down May's inflation report, which reached its highest level in three years, while explaining how falling oil prices could help ease inflation pressures in the months ahead. She also covers the latest housing data as new home sales fell to their second-lowest level in nearly four years and reviews the latest GDP...

In this episode of On the Highway, Bridgette Hardonk talks with top-producing loan officer Brandon Poulos about what it really takes to build a lasting mortgage career. Drawing from more than 20 years in the industry, Brandon shares lessons on adapting through market shifts, building strong referral relationships, creating structure through themed workdays, and why proactive communication remains...

Markets received encouraging news as the United States and Iran agreed to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reducing concerns about global energy supplies. At the same time, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged in Kevin Warsh's first meeting as Chair. Housing data painted a mixed picture, with homebuilders pulling back on new construction while pending home sales...

When it comes to home prices, one of the most important forces is simple: supply and demand.

Elevated energy and gasoline costs pushed inflation higher in May, while existing home sales reached their fastest pace of the year. Three themes stand out from the latest data: rising energy costs driving broader inflation, home sales posting their strongest showing of 2026, and jobless claims drawing renewed attention.

The MBS Highway National Housing Index fell 9 points in June 2026, dropping from 47 in May to 38. Buyer activity declined sharply from the previous month, while price direction reversed its slow but steady climb.

Labor market data paints a resilient picture, while home price forecasts highlight the long-term opportunity in homeownership. May's jobs report surprised to the upside, ADP figures signaled broader hiring gains, and additional labor data supported that outlook. On the housing side, long-term home price forecasts put the value of homeownership on full display, giving buyers and clients a compellin...

April brought a mixed economic picture: inflation ticked higher and remained above the Fed's target, new home sales came in below expectations, and GDP and unemployment data added further texture to an uncertain macro backdrop. Against that softness, long-term home price appreciation forecasts continue to reinforce the wealth-building potential of homeownership.

In this session, we break down how the Loan Comparison tool turns complicated loan scenarios into clear, side by side conversations your borrowers actually understand. You'll see how to explain options with confidence, build trust from the first meeting, and close more deals as a result.

In this episode of On the Highway, Scott Brixen breaks down the latest Case-Shiller National Home Price Index data for March 2026. Listen as he walks through which cities are feeling the most pressure, where prices are still holding up, and why the Case-Shiller methodology makes this data worth paying attention to in the first place.

April saw a slowdown in single-family housing construction even as signed contracts for existing homes rose for a third straight month and beat expectations, while the Federal Reserve's April meeting minutes highlighted disagreement among policymakers over the path forward, with key takeaways including cooling single-family construction, a slight uptick in builder sentiment, continued climbing in...

On this episode of On The Highway, Bridgette Hardonk talks with Mary Vaca, a process-driven loan officer who left corporate tech at 40 and has hit President's Club every year since 2020, including a $16M quarter in a market no one's calling easy. Mary shares the playbooks behind the numbers: how she preps clients for rate dips months out, why she walked away from chasing social media stardom, the...

Inflation accelerated in April at both the consumer and wholesale levels, complicating the outlook for interest rate cuts, while existing home sales posted a m…Inflation accelerated in April at both the consumer and wholesale levels, complicating the outlook for interest rate cuts, while existing home sales posted a modest increase. The latest data also offers a snapshot of trends in consumer spen...

The MBS Highway National Housing Index rose 5 points in May 2026, climbing from 42 in April to 47. Buyer activity rebounded sharply from last month’s rate-driven pullback, hitting exactly 50 — the expansion threshold — while price direction continued its slow but steady climb.

Labor market data sent mixed signals this week, with a strong headline jobs number masking softer details underneath and ADP data revealing a split market. But housing told a different story, with new home sales beating expectations and forecasts pointing to real opportunity for buyers.

Scott Brixen breaks down the April 2026 housing inventory numbers from Realtor.com. Active listings crossed a major milestone nationally this spring, but is that the rebound buyers have been waiting for or just seasonal noise? Scott weighs April against last year and pre-pandemic norms, then gets to the real story of where that inventory actually lives.