According to Zillow’s March 2026 market report, the U.S. housing market remained more active than many expected, even as mortgage rates moved higher again. Pending home sales increased sharply, home values continued to rise modestly, and housing inventory kept growing. In March alone, 281,546 homes newly went under contract, making it the second-highest monthly total since August 2022. That figure was up 4.6% compared with the same time last year and up 29.8% from February. Zillow interpreted this as a clear sign that the spring housing market has started in earnest. However, the stronger market activity was not driven by lower rates alone. Zillow noted that several factors helped boost the market in March, including pent-up demand after three years of relatively weak sales activity, delayed moves following winter storms in January and February, and the benefit of somewhat lower mortgage rates earlier in the year. Still, by late March, mortgage rates had climbed from 5.98% at the end of February…