EconomyBreakingUpdated 2 days ago

Homebuilder confidence falls to lowest reading since 2012 as mortgage rates rise

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly right-leaning (67%).

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Image via Business InsiderHow images are chosen Report this image

The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo said Monday that their Housing Market Index fell three points to 29 in October, its lowest reading since June 2012. Readings below 50 mean more builders view conditions as poor than good, and all three components of the index declined. NAHB chairman Bill Owens said mortgage rates had climbed well above 7 percent in recent weeks, and that higher gasoline prices and inflation had weakened buyer traffic. Capital Economics estimates that 2026 is on track to be the worst year for home sales since 2011, according to Business Insider’s reporting of that estimate.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

The NAHB and Wells Fargo housing index fell three points to 29 in October, its lowest reading since June 2012.
Reported byLeft1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
Business Insider
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News
Economists surveyed had expected the index to reach 31.
One outletBreitbart News· Far Right
NAHB chairman Bill Owens said mortgage rates had climbed well above 7 percent in recent weeks.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News
Buyer traffic fell five points to 18, its lowest since April 2012 excluding the start of the pandemic.
One outletBreitbart News· Far Right
Capital Economics estimates 2026 is on track to be the worst year for home sales since 2011.
One outletBusiness Insider· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every outlet reports the housing index fell three points to 29 in October, its lowest since June 2012. Business Insider stresses slowing sales and a worst-year estimate, while the right-side outlets stress high mortgage rates, and the Post adds luxury housing as a bright spot.

the left
1 outlet
The only left-side headline, from Business Insider, treats the index as an alarm: a major indicator flashing its most negative reading in 14 years.
A major housing indicator Sensational language“just flashed its most negative reading”The index fell to its lowest level in 14 years; flashed and most negative dramatize a monthly survey reading.More neutral: fell to its lowest reading in 14 yearsDisagree with this highlight? in 14 years
Business InsiderLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
2 outlets
Right-side headlines lead with the 14-year low in builder confidence and rising mortgage rates, while the New York Post adds a lighter note that luxury housing is a bright spot.
Homebuilder Confidence Falls to 14-Year Low as Mortgage Rates Climb
Breitbart NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left2
record-breaking slowdownjust flashed its most negative reading
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right0
No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
record-breaking slowdownMore neutral: steep slowdown
Record-breaking is a claim about the sales series that the supplied text does not document.
…much builders have soured on the housing landscape amid rising costs and a record-breaking slowdown in home sales.
Used byBusiness Insider (Left)
Sensational language
just flashed its most negative readingMore neutral: fell to its lowest reading in 14 years
The index fell to its lowest level in 14 years; flashed and most negative dramatize a monthly survey reading.
A major housing indicator just flashed its most negative reading in 14 years
Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

builder pessimism
slowdown in home sales
2026 on track for worst sales year since 2011

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines

Business InsiderLeft
A major housing indicator Sensational language“just flashed its most negative reading”The index fell to its lowest level in 14 years; flashed and most negative dramatize a monthly survey reading.More neutral: fell to its lowest reading in 14 yearsDisagree with this highlight? in 14 years
Homebuilder sentiment fell to its lowest level since June 2012, attesting to how builders are under pressure as more buyers are pushed to the sidelines.
2 days agoRead at Business Insider (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

14-year low in builder confidence
high mortgage rates and inflation
luxury housing as a bright spot

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

New York PostRight
US home builders have the blues — but luxury housing remains a bright spot in challenging economy
American home builders are more pessimistic than they've been in years about the housing market, but luxury housing is a bright spot in the economy.
2 days agoRead at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
Breitbart NewsFar Right
Homebuilder Confidence Falls to 14-Year Low as Mortgage Rates Climb
U.S. homebuilder confidence fell more than expected in October to its lowest level in 14 years, as higher mortgage rates deterred buyers and builders increasingly cut prices to make sales. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index
2 days agoRead at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
1 hr 27 min later
Its first report, Oct 19, 2:05 PM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
Breitbart News, Oct 19, 12:38 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 19, 12:38 PM EDT
Business InsiderLeftOct 19, 2:05 PM EDT
New York PostRightOct 19, 7:15 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Homebuilder confidence falls to lowest reading since 2012 as mortgage rates rise

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

A major housing indicator Sensational language“just flashed its most negative reading”The index fell to its lowest level in 14 years; flashed and most negative dramatize a monthly survey reading.More neutral: fell to its lowest reading in 14 yearsDisagree with this highlight? in 14 years

From the center

From the right

US home builders have the blues — but luxury housing remains a bright spot in challenging economy

Homebuilder Confidence Falls to 14-Year Low as Mortgage Rates Climb

How the coverage built up

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