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.

Mixed Jobs Data, Home Sales Beat Forecasts

The May 11, 2026, market update reveals a complex labor landscape where strong headline growth masks significant underlying softness. While the economy added 115,000 jobs in April, surpassing the forecasted 60,000, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%, revisions to previous months have added volatility to the data. A deeper analysis shows that full-time employment actually plummeted by 424,000 jobs, while part-time roles increased, with many workers forced into part-time positions for economic reasons. This shift is underscored by ADP data showing that while small and large firms continue to hire, medium-sized companies saw almost no growth, and hiring remains heavily concentrated in stable sectors like healthcare and education rather than reflecting broad economic strength. Furthermore, job cuts rose to over 83,000 in April, largely driven by AI-related restructuring, and elevated continuing unemployment claims suggest job seekers are finding it increasingly difficult to secure new roles.

In contrast to the mixed labor signals, the housing market demonstrates notable resilience as new home sales significantly exceed expectations. Following delays caused by a government shutdown, data shows that new home sales surged by nearly 17% between January and March. Although the median home price saw a 5.3% dip recently, the report clarifies this was the result of a higher volume of lower-priced homes selling rather than a decline in actual property values. The long-term outlook for real estate remains optimistic, as Cotality has raised its home price forecast to 5.1% appreciation over the next year, highlighting the sector's continued potential for wealth building.

Technically, the market saw mortgage bonds break through key resistance levels at the end of the week, while the 10-year Treasury yield trended lower toward 4.33%. Investors are now focused on the upcoming week, which features critical Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) reports that will provide more clarity on the inflation trajectory and future market volatility.