Let’s talk straight about the March housing report. We aren’t in a boom yet, but we’re seeing the kind of steady growth that keeps a business healthy.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), February sales hit 257,000. That’s flat compared to last year, but it’s a +12.7% bump from January. The big news is that inventory is finally climbing, with Zillow reporting active listings up +5% YoY. For a busy inspection team, that’s the number that matters – more houses on the market keeps your inspectors in the field.
The median time to go pending is now 28 days according to Zillow. That’s 4 days longer than last year, but 19 days faster than what we saw in January. NAR shows prices are staying level, too, with a national median of $398,000 (+0.3% YoY).
Supporting this stability, both Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) have revised their outlooks slightly downward for 30-year mortgage rates. Fannie Mae now expects rates to hover near 6% through early 2026 before declining gradually toward the high-5% range through 2027, while MBA forecasts the 30-year fixed rate to stabilize in the 6%–6.3% range through 2027.
Current Forecasts
Forecasts for 2026 Home Sales (March ’26 forecast)
- NAR: +14.0% (4.63 million existing home sales vs. 4.06 million)
- MBA: +5.1% (5 million total home sales vs. 4.76 million)
- Fannie: +2.7% (4.89 million total home sales vs. 4.76 million)
- Zillow: +4.4% (4.24 million existing home sales vs. 4.06 million)
Forecasts for 2027 Home Sales (March ’26 forecast)
- MBA: +5.1% (5.25 million total home sales vs. 5 million)
- Fannie: +8.3% (5.29 million total home sales vs. 4.89 million)
MBA Forecast for Mortgage Originations (March ’26 forecast)
- 2026 Total Mortgage Originations: +4.1% (5.68 million loans vs. 5.46 million)
- Purchase: +2.3% (3.53 million loans vs. 3.45 million)
- Refi: +7.2% (2.16 million vs. 2.01 million)
2027 Total Mortgage Originations:
- +0.9% (5.73 million loans vs. 5.68 million)
- Purchase: +6.6% (3.76 million loans vs. 3.53 million)
- Refi: -8.4% (1.98 million vs. 2.16 million)
Bottom line for multi-inspector teams
Forecasts suggest more transactions in 2026 than 2025, but it may not be a wild surge. Gradual growth means your systems, scheduling, and report turnaround times are what will set you apart. As inventory increases and purchase loans are projected to grow by +2.3% this year, the teams with the tightest operations are the ones that will win the extra volume.
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