For the week of April 20, 2026

“The secret to longevity is ice cream.”—Paul Marcus, American centenarian

New listings rebounded strongly following the holiday slowdown, bringing fresh inventory into the market during the peak spring selling window. Buyers are seeing more options at a time when demand typically accelerates.

Inventory levels continue to exceed last year, marking a meaningful shift toward improved market balance. While price trends remain soft, this dynamic is helping support buyer leverage as the spring season progresses.

Economic uncertainty continues to influence housing activity, with builder sentiment declining amid higher costs and rate volatility. At the same time, improving credit availability is helping support buyer access to financing.

MARKETS SNAP BACK...Stocks moved higher last week as easing oil pressures and continued optimism around de-escalation in the Middle East helped drive a strong market rebound.

Bond yields stabilized as investors balanced inflation concerns with improving sentiment. Markets began shifting focus back toward corporate earnings and underlying economic strength.

Despite ongoing uncertainty, fundamentals remain supportive. Consumer activity continues to hold, labor conditions remain steady, and housing trends are gradually improving with rising inventory and moderating prices.

The week ended with the Dow up 2.3%, to 40,503, the S&P 500 up 2.6%, to 5,405, and the Nasdaq up 3.0%, to 16,878.

Bond markets showed signs of stabilization as inflation pressures remained elevated but less volatile. Mortgage rates edged slightly lower but continue to reflect broader uncertainty tied to inflation and global developments.

DID YOU KNOW...New listings just reached their highest level in nearly a year, signaling that more sellers are stepping into the market during the most active week of the spring season.

HOME SALES, PMI, FED SIGNALS...Markets will focus on upcoming housing data and business activity reports for signals on economic momentum. These releases will help shape expectations around demand trends and overall market direction. While inflation remains a key concern, stabilizing financial conditions and improving inventory could help support buyer activity if mortgage rates remain contained in the near term.

Forecasting Federal Reserve policy changes in coming months. Markets currently expect policymakers to remain on hold as they assess inflation trends and overall economic momentum. The Fed is likely to emphasize patience as it evaluates whether recent volatility is easing and conditions are stabilizing. Note: In the lower chart, the 0.5% probability of change means there's a 99.5% probability the rate will stay the same. Current rate is 3.50%–3.75%.

Probability of change from current policy:

If a task feels overwhelming, remember that you don’t have to do it all now. Commit to making progress on it for just five minutes. Often that will give you the momentum to keep going. If it doesn’t, you’ll still have gotten closer to completing the task.