On The Highway

In this episode, Scott Brixen breaks down the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index for February 2026, and the headline number might surprise you. Tune in to find out which cities are heating up, which are cooling down, and what it all means for conversations with your clients.

The Fed held rates steady amid ongoing policy debate, while inflation edged higher driven by rising oil prices. National home values climbed for a seventh consecutive month, underscoring the continued benefits of homeownership. On the construction side, housing starts came in above expectations, though permits pulled back, offering a mixed picture for new supply. Looking ahead, GDP and unemploymen...

Pending home sales showed a modest lift in March, offering a small sign of movement as the market looks for direction, while retail sales came in stronger than expected, helped in part by rising gas prices. At the same time, jobless claims continue to reflect an evolving labor landscape, with underlying shifts in how and where people work still playing out.

In this exclusive webinar, learn from top producers who have refined their messaging and built point-of-sale conversations that are converting in 2026.

The housing market showed a shift in April after several months of building momentum. The MBS Highway Housing Index pulled back, driven largely by a noticeable drop in buyer activity as mortgage rates moved higher. While pricing hasn’t cracked in a meaningful way, demand clearly softened, signaling that the spring surge may not be as strong or as durable as expected. The bigger story here is how s...

March inflation came in hotter than expected, driven primarily by a surge in energy prices, which pushed headline readings higher and reinforced the volatility we continue to see in key components. At the same time, updated home price forecasts are reinforcing a longer-term theme that often gets overlooked in short-term data swings: homeownership remains a powerful wealth-building tool, especially...

Case-Shiller data for January shows a slowdown in annual home price growth, but a closer look reveals a more encouraging trend beneath the surface. While year-over-year gains hit their slowest pace since mid-2023, recent monthly data points to stronger momentum that could continue, especially with shifts in mortgage rates. The question now is whether that momentum can hold as broader economic fact...

A stronger-than-expected jobs report contrasted with other signs of a cooling labor market, creating a mixed picture overall. While the headline jobs data came in strong, underlying details raised questions, and ADP employment figures added to the uncertainty with mixed signals. Additional labor market reports pointed to softer trends, suggesting some cooling beneath the surface. At the same time,...

Homeownership has always been one of the most powerful ways to build wealth. Even in a shifting market, the long-term opportunity hasn’t changed. Find out why getting in the market matters more than timing it perfectly.

It was a quieter week for economic data, with markets driven more by uncertainty around the conflict in Iran and swings in oil prices. Meanwhile, labor market reports showed some signals on hiring trends, with ADP indicating sluggish job growth and jobless claims hinting at a growing gig economy.

In this exclusive webinar, Highway + The Loan Atlas bring together three faculty members with a combined $3 billion in personal mortgage production to show you exactly how they position programs like non-QM, DSCR, reverse mortgages, and investment property HELOCs to become the lender Realtors call when traditional financing falls apart. You’ll learn how top originators structure complex deals, win...

For the second straight meeting, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, though not without internal debate. Housing activity showed mixed signals, with new home sales dropping and builders remaining cautious while pending home sales inched higher, as recent weather disruptions impacted parts of the country. At the same time, wholesale inflation came in hotter than expected alongside updat...

In this episode of On the Highway, Scot Gale shares how he broke into the mortgage industry in 2020 and quickly built a purchase-focused business grounded in discipline and continuous learning. Scot credits his growth to showing up consistently for coaching, staying structured in his daily routine, and focusing on relationships over transactions. From supporting agents at open houses to adding val...

The traditional LO playbook is aging out. By 2030, your edge won’t be rates – it’ll be leverage. AI won’t replace loan originators. But LOs who use AI will outperform the ones who don’t. Watch this free masterclass where you’ll learn the systems, structure, and AI workflows top producers will use to dominate the next decade.

The MBS Highway National Housing Index rose 4 points in March 2026, climbing from 43 in February to 47. A year ago, the index stood at 45. The spring seasonal upswing continues to build, with the buyer activity sub-index crossing into expansion territory for the first time since May 2024.

On this episode of On the Highway, Shelly Williams breaks down the latest economic signals impacting housing, including a weaker-than-expected February jobs report, mixed ADP data, and other indicators pointing to a cooling labor market. She also explains why home price forecasts remain strong nationwide and how these trends could create new opportunities for buyers.

Refinance opportunities can appear quickly and disappear just as fast. Missing the window can mean missed savings for your clients and missed volume for your business. In this webinar, The Loan Atlas team walks through how to use Strike Rate to capture refinance opportunities the moment they become available. You’ll learn how to set target rates for your clients and get notified when market rates...

In this episode of On the Highway, Shelly Williams covers the latest home price data highlighting the value of homeownership, as buyer activity continues to support home values. She also breaks down how wholesale inflation ran hot in January and why that matters for rates, and explains how gig work may be masking labor market strain, showing that unemployment filings don’t tell the full story.

In this episode of On the Highway, Scott Brixen breaks down the December 2025 Case-Shiller Home Price Index and explains why the modest 1.3% year-over-year headline is missing the bigger picture. While much of the media is focused on slowing annual growth, the more meaningful story is that price appreciation is accelerating again as mortgage rates fall.

Last week, the government released delayed reports on home construction, home sales, GDP, and the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, PCE, following last fall’s shutdown. Here’s a look at the key highlights. PCE inflation came in higher than expected. Weather slowed home contract activity. Housing construction picked up, but builders remain cautious. The latest reports also included updates on GDP...

The January’s Jobs Report came in strong on the surface, though the underlying details deserve a closer look. Inflation data provided some encouragement, with annual inflation easing to an eight-month low. Existing home sales slowed to start 2026, signaling a softer beginning to the year in housing. The latest data also included updates on consumer spending and unemployment, rounding out a mixed b...

The MBS Highway National Housing Index jumped in February 2026, rising 9 points from January to 43. A year ago, the index stood at 41. Lower mortgage rates and improved affordability are boosting the normal seasonal upswing.

In this episode, we unpack the latest economic signals, with signs that the labor market is cooling while national home price forecasts continue to move higher. We cover delayed jobs data from the government shutdown, a disappointing January private payrolls report after weak 2025 hiring, and broader indicators pointing to softer labor conditions, alongside continued signs of strength in today’s h...

In this episode of On the Highway, Scott Brixen breaks down the November 2025 Case-Shiller Home Price Index and explains why the headline year-over-year growth number is missing the real story. While the media is focused on modest annual gains, a deeper look shows that lower mortgage rates are driving renewed price momentum across much of the country.

In this episode, Shelly Williams walks through a week packed with market-moving headlines, including President Trump’s pick of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady at its first meeting of the year with two dissenting votes, and new home price data showing renewed national strength supported by buyer demand. She also breaks down the latest labor and...