Home Sales Reflect Impact Of Rates, Lack Of Inventory

New home sales fell in June as new construction takes heat from rising interest rates, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales fell by 2.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 697,000, compared to May’s revised rate of 715,000. They were up 23.8% from the same time last year, however. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale was 432,000, up from last month and representing a supply of 7.4 months at the current sales rate. Homebuilders are working hard to keep inventory flowing, providing options for homebuyers. “Builders are also responding to this shift by bringing slightly smaller homes to market in an effort to meet lower price…

New Home Sales Surged In May

New home sales jumped in May as homebuilders continue to experience a boom, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales rose by 12.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 763,000, compared to April’s 680,000. They were up 20% from the same time last year, which saw an annualized rate of just 636,000. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale was 428,000, down from last month and representing a supply of 6.7 months at the current sales rate. The median sales price for a new home was $416,300, while the average sales price was $487,300. Homebuilders are working overtime to accommodate surging demand. Americans still want to buy…

Pending Home Sales Slipped In March

Pending home sales sank in March as rate-sensitive buyers continued to skirt the market, according to the National Association of Realtors. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index declined by 5.2% between February and March. Year-over-year, it dropped by 23.2%. All four regions saw pending sales fall YOY, and three of the four saw contract signings shrink. Signings increased slightly in the South as the region continues to attract buyers chasing affordability and sunny weather. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun pointed to tight inventory as the main hindrance to sales. “Multiple offers are still occurring on about a third of all listings, and 28% of homes are selling above list price. Limited housing supply is simply not meeting demand nationally,” he said.…

New Home Sales Increased In March

New home sales increased by more than expected in March but remain down significantly from last year, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales rose by 9.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 683,000, compared to just 1.1% in February. Sales remain down 3.4% YOY, which boasted an annual rate of 707,000. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale was 432,000, representing a supply of 7.6 months at the current sales rate. Inventory remains tight even as more people are home-shopping this spring. As a result, home prices unexpectedly rose in February. “Homebuyers are window shopping and many are entering the store, but few of them are…

New Home Sales Rose In February As Existing Inventory Shrinks

New home sales increased slightly month-over-month in February but remain down significantly from last year, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales rose by 1.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 640,000, slightly less than economists’ expectations of 650,000. Bloomberg call this an “unexpected” rise after a downward revision in January, saying it may herald some stability after a wild year. Sales remain down 19% YOY. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale was 436,000, representing a supply of 8.2 months at the current sales rate. Newly built homes are gaining popularity as the supply of existing homes continues to cause trouble. Zillow says homebuyers are growing…

September New Home Sales See Downward Spiral

New home sales fell in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 603,000, down 10.8% from August and 17.6% YOY, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The month-over-month figure is slightly better than expected. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal predicted home sales to fall 13.4%. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 462,000, representing a supply of 9.2 months at the current sales rate. September saw mortgage rates soar from the high-5%s to nearly 7% at month’s end, pricing many potential buyers out of the market. Home shoppers who could have afforded a mortgage payment earlier this year now may…

New Home Sales Up MoM In August

New home sales rose in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000, up 28.8% from July’s revised rate but down 0.1% YOY, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 461,000, representing a supply of 8.1 months at the current sales rate. The median sales price of a new home was $436,800, while the average sales price was $521,800. The data comes on the heels of a surprise increase in mortgage applications last week, despite rates rising to their highest point since October 2008. “As with the swings in rates and other uncertainties around the housing…

July New Home Sales Down 12.6% MoM

New home sales fell in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 511,000, down 12.6% from June and 29.6% YOY, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The massive dropoff can be attributed to the rising cost of buying a home. Home price appreciation and increasing interest rates are pricing potential buyers out of the market. Between rates and prices, the monthly mortgage payment on a typical US home is 62% higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, some sellers are opting not to put their homes up for sale, exacerbating the stock shortage and driving up competition. About half of all homeowners have a rate under 4% and are disinclined…

New Home Sales Fall To Four-Month Low

New home sales fell to a four-month low in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 763,000, down 8.6%, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The massive dropoff can be attributed to the rising cost of buying a home. Home price appreciation and increasing interest rates are pricing potential buyers out of the market. Between rates and prices, monthly mortgage payments are 19.5% higher than they were three months ago and 38% higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, some sellers are opting not to put their homes up for sale, exacerbating the stock shortage and driving up competition. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end…

Morning Roundup (3/24/2022)– New Home Sales, Housing Predictions

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, March 24. Madeleine Albright has died of cancer at age 84. President Biden landed in Brussels for three back-to-back meetings with G7 leaders, NATO allies, and the European Union. The Mortgage Note Reports Biden-Harris Tackle Equity In Lending And Appraisals: Vice President Kamala Harris joined officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday to announce the delivery of a plan aimed squarely at dismantling racial bias in the lending and appraisal process. New Home Sales: New home sales dropped in February for a second month, suggesting buyers are taking a step back thanks to high prices and rising mortgage rates. Housing Predictions: A panel of housing experts surveyed by Zillow said they don’t expect inventory or first-time…