Mortgage rates
High mortgage rates are deepening a 'K-shaped' housing market
October 15, 2026 · CNN
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 7.4% this week, according to Freddie Mac — up sharply from 6.27% a year ago. CNN reports the surge is splitting the market: higher-income buyers with cash on hand are accounting for a growing share of transactions, while lower-income buyers face mounting affordability pressure as prices rise and inventory stays limited.
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The Fed
Mortgage Rate Watch: Rates hold near 7.40% ahead of the Fed's October 28 decision
October 19, 2026 · Rainbow Row Real Estate
Freddie Mac's survey put the 30-year fixed at 7.40% as of October 15, unchanged from the prior week, with the 15-year at 6.71% and the 10-year Treasury near 5.09%. September inflation ran hot — CPI up 3.7% year over year and producer prices jumping 1.3% in the month — and markets expect the Fed, which raised its benchmark to 3.75%–4.00% in September, to pause at its October 28 meeting.
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NYC market
New York City home listings reach four-year high as contracts slip and rents rise
October 17, 2026 · WRE News
StreetEasy counted 4,951 new NYC sale listings in September — the most in any month since March 2022, up 7.6% year over year — yet signed contracts fell 5.4% to 1,528 as higher mortgage rates squeezed financed buyers. Even so, 21.1% of homes sold above asking, the citywide median asking price was $995,000, and homes took a median 88 days to sell, two weeks longer than a year ago.
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Queens snapshot
NYC sees biggest wave of homes for sale in four years — and Queens is the bright spot
October 16, 2026 · New York Post
While contracts fell 5.4% citywide in September, Queens went the other way: signed contracts rose 9.3% to 353, powered by a 12.4% jump in co-op deals, according to StreetEasy data reported by the Post. StreetEasy's Kenny Lee said sellers are rushing to list while competition stays hot and inventory tight, with more than one in five homes selling above asking — even as borrowing costs climb.
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Rentals
Housing lottery launches for 42-78 65th Place in Woodside, Queens
October 15, 2026 · New York YIMBY
Eight affordable units are up for lottery at a new nine-story, 29-residence building in Woodside, for households earning 40 to 130 percent of area median income. Rents run from $869 for a one-bedroom at 40% AMI to $3,000 for a two-bedroom at 130% AMI, with applications due by November 2, 2026 through NYC Housing Connect.
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New supply
Renderings revealed for 64-11 Queens Boulevard in Woodside, Queens
October 8, 2026 · New York YIMBY
New renderings show a 14-story mixed-use building planned for 64-11 Queens Boulevard in Woodside, developed by ZD Jasper Realty and designed by Archimaera. The nearly 155,000-square-foot project will bring 148 rental units — including affordable homes — plus ground-floor retail and amenities like a pickleball court and fitness center, near the Woodside 7 train and LIRR station.
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