By the Numbers
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All four geographic regions saw increases, led by the Midwest, which clocked a 10.4% rise from July, and the South, where sales rose 8.6%. Pending transactions rose 7.2% in the West and 4.6% in the North.
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The 10-city composite index rose 1.4% on a monthly basis and 19.1% on a yearly basis, while the 20-city composite gained 1.5% monthly and 19.9% annually.
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The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of July was 378,000, representing a supply of 6.1 months at the current sales rate.
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The increase was driven by a 21.6% month-over-month spike in the rate of new multifamily construction. Single-family housing starts, meanwhile, slid 2.8%.
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September’s reading of 76 was up one point from August, despite lingering challenges with labor and the building-material supply chain, the National Association of Home Builders reported, citing the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.
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Month over month, home sales were down 3.5%, and the median sale price declined 1.2% to $335,000.
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Pending home sales in August rose just 9%, the slowest growth since June 2020, according to a new Redfin report.
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A decline in new home listings has had little impact on the market as far as demand is concerned, according to a recent Redfin report.
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Housing inventory fell in Seattle during August, while housing starts and existing-home sales rose.
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Also during the month, the median sales price rose to $390,500 from $370,200 in June, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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“The bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming report comes from the increase in the overall number of permits issued, which can signal how much home construction is in the pipeline.” — First American deputy chief economist Odeta Kushi
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Just 56.6% of homes sold during the quarter were affordable to families earning the U.S. median income of $79,900, according to the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index.
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The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the median sales price slid to $361,800 from $380,700 in May.
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At the same time, the median existing-home price for all housing types in May was up 23.4% on an annual basis, as every region in the country registered price increases.
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Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted purchase index declined 6% from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.
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Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in June came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
1,598,000, down 5.1 % from the revised May rate of 1,683,000, but 23.3% above the year-ago rate of 1,296,000.