The monthly JOLTS report was not released this morning because nobody in the BLS is allowed to do any work. So that data along with the monthly Jobs Report that’s scheduled to be released on Friday is being concealed with other top secret documents in a banker’s box in the conference room at Mar-a-Lago.
Which makes tomorrow’s ADP Employment Report that much more important. The market is expecting to see 45K–48K new jobs, an increase from last month’s 41K. I think the actual findings will be much less and start with a 3.
Cotality, another non-government institution that has to keep the doors open for anyone to get paid, produced their Home Price Insights this morning. They show that home prices dipped 0.2% last month, but are up 0.9% over the most recent 12 months. Furthermore, they estimate prices to increase 4.5% over the next 12 months. That’s up 0.2% from the previous forecast of 4.3%.
Cotality’s Chief Economist commented on the flattening of the appreciation curve saying “the market is becoming more navigable for prospective buyers”, and projects purchase momentum to increase markedly in 2026. Music to my ears!
I want to highlight a fantastic first time homebuyer program in Utah County that I absolutely love. The income limits have finally risen enough so it’s again a fantastic opportunity to get $40,000 in assistance for those who qualify.
