Where To Buy In 2026: 10 U.S. Housing Markets Where Buyers Have Leverage | January 28, 2026

On today’s Hot Sheet, Byron Lazine broke down ATTOM’s 2026 Rental Affordability Report, which shows owning is cheaper than renting in 57.7% of U.S. counties and home prices have outpaced rents in 69% of markets.

He also reviewed Zillow’s most buyer-friendly housing markets for 2026, led by Indianapolis with a $283,040 home value and mortgage payments staying under 30% of income in half of the top metros.

For today’s third topic, Byron unpacked the latest MBA data showing total mortgage applications fell 8.5% as refinance activity dropped 16% and purchase applications edged down 0.4% as 30-year mortgage rates ticked up to 6.24%.