Marketplace All-in-One A glimmer of hope for the housing market
Dec 29, 2025
Mitchell Hartman, a Marketplace reporter focused on business and economic trends, shares insights on the U.S. housing market's recent modest improvements, highlighting a 3% rise in pending home sales and better affordability as mortgage rates fall. Alongside him, Elizabeth Troval discusses the 2026 outlook for the oil market, forecasting a decline in U.S. oil production and prices. They also touch on state-level minimum wage increases and the intriguing rise of AI travel influencers in marketing.
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Housing Market Showing Early Stabilization
- Pending home sales rose over 3% in November, signaling the housing market may be stabilizing after a long slump.
- Falling mortgage rates and more inventory are improving affordability but prices still need to ease further to boost demand.
Price Growth Has Largely Paused
- House price appreciation has slowed to roughly flat or slightly negative after big gains since 2019.
- More homes coming to market plus lower mortgage rates are likely to restrain future price increases.
Monitor Mortgage Rates Below 6%
- Watch mortgage rates: experts say rates need to drop below 6% to spur meaningful buyer activity.
- Expect incremental Fed cuts in 2026 to help push mortgage rates lower but not back to historic lows.