Hey, it's Abdel again with Got Mortgages. Every week I put together a centralized roadmap that pulls the housing and mortgage market into one clear picture, so you're not stitching together headlines, rate alerts, and economic releases trying to figure out what actually matters this week.

Inside this update you'll find the full presentation breaking down what's moving and why, a workflow video that walks you through it step by step, an infographic with the week's key numbers at a glance, and supporting materials that connect the dots between rates, home sales, inventory, and the data driving it all.

Whether you have a client that is buying, selling, refinancing, or helping clients navigate any of it, this is built to give you the clarity to act, not just react.

Fed Holds Rates Steady, Gas Prices Drive Inflation

The Federal Reserve has maintained interest rates at 3.50% to 3.75%, though the decision saw a record four dissenters. While inflation rose to 3.5% annually in March due to surging gas prices, the Fed's preferred core PCE remained more moderate at 3.2%.

The housing market continues to show strength, with values rising for the seventh consecutive month and a 0.7% year-over-year increase. Despite an 11% jump in housing starts, a similar drop in building permits suggests future construction may slow. Broadly, the economy showed resilience with Q1 2026 GDP growing at 2%, while low jobless claims of 189,000 indicate a tight labor market. Investors are now looking toward upcoming reports on new home sales and nonfarm payrolls.