2026-04-29: Mortgage rates climbed to 6.37% and multifamily markets showed recovery signs as vacancy dropped

Show Notes - 2026-04-29 Stories Covered: - Today: - Mortgage rates rose to two-week highs. (https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/markets/mortgage-rates-04282026) - National homeownership held at 65.3% in Q1. (https://www.realtor.com/research/homeownership-q1-2026/) - Home prices posted modest annual gains. (https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/markets/mbs-recap-04282026) - Multifamily markets show recovery signs amid cautious optimism. (https://www.housingwire.com/articles/multifamily-developers-recovery/) - AvalonBay beat earnings expectations, citing strong rent-vs-buy economics. (https://commercialobserver.com/2026/04/avalonbay-first-quarter-2026/) - Life sciences REIT Alexandria Real Estate posted increased losses and slow leasing. (https://commercialobserver.com/2026/04/alexandria-real-estate-q1-2026-earnings-call/) - National builder advocates won rollback of costly energy mandate. (https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/press-releases/2026/04/nahb-applauds-hud-and-usda-action-to-roll-back-costly-energy-mandate) - April rent increased 0.5%, marking the third consecutive monthly gain. (https://rentalhousingjournal.com/april-saw-another-monthly-rent-increase/) - Multifamily vacancy dropped to 7.2%, the first decline since 2021. (https://rentalhousingjournal.com/april-saw-another-monthly-rent-increase/) - Virginia followed California's faith-based housing model, clearing churches to build affordable housing. (https://www.housingwire.com/articles/california-yigby-virginia-playbook/) - NAR's referral network model faces scrutiny despite top producer's defense. (https://www.housingwire.com/articles/mitchell-referral-fees-commissions/) - Credit score reform could increase mortgage delinquencies and reshape GSE pricing grids. (https://www.housingwire.com/articles/fhfa-score-change-gamification/) - Real Brokerage acquiring RE/MAX for $550 million, creating Real REMAX Group. (https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/opinion/pipelinepress-04282026) - Oregon's 2026 legislative session delivered mixed housing results. (https://rentalhousingjournal.com/oregons-2026-legislative-session-delivers-mixed-housing-results/) - Construction workforce shifts away from trades toward management and tech roles. (https://www.nahb.org/blog/2026/04/shrinking-share-of-tradesmen-in-the-construction-workforce) - Keller Williams executive warns tough markets expose weak branding and strategic drift. (https://www.housingwire.com/articles/turning-market-uncertainty-into-brand-momentum/) Full brief: https://carolinacleartech.com/athens-real-estate/2026-04-29/