August 2023 Monthly Housing Market Trends Report
In August, the number of homes actively for sale decreased by 7.9% compared to the previous year, while the total number of unsold homes, including those under contract, decreased by 9.2%.
Topics
Relevant topic timeline:
New home sales in the US increased by 4.4% in July, outperforming expectations and highlighting the continued demand for new construction due to a shortage of existing affordable homes. Despite rising mortgage rates, buyers are turning to new homes, causing a decline in sales in the resale market. However, as mortgage rates continue to rise, builder sentiment may be negatively impacted and prices may need to be adjusted to attract buyers.
Mortgage rates topping 7% have led to a significant drop in mortgage applications for home purchases, with last week seeing the smallest volume in 28 years. The increase in rates, driven by concerns of high inflation, has priced out many potential buyers and contributed to low housing supply and high home prices. As a result, sales of previously owned homes have declined, and homeowners are reluctant to sell their properties due to the higher rates. Some buyers are turning to adjustable-rate mortgages to manage the increased costs.
The inventory of existing homes has been declining since the peak of the housing bubble in July 2007, with technology playing a key role in speeding up the processes involved in selling a home and reducing the time it takes for a home to sit in inventory.
Sales of existing homes have declined due to the rise in mortgage rates, but the demand for new homes is increasing as buyers are hesitant to sell their current homes with low-interest mortgages.
Homebuyers' purchasing power has been negatively impacted by rising mortgage rates, which averaged 7.2% in August, the highest level since 2001, resulting in a decline in existing home sales and a shift towards new-construction homes.
Home prices in the U.S. rose for the fifth consecutive month in June, despite high mortgage rates, with national prices increasing by 0.9% and only down 0.02% from their peak in June 2022, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index. However, there were significant regional differences, with cities on the West Coast experiencing some of the biggest declines. The housing market continues to face challenges due to low inventory and slow new construction.
Pending home sales in the US rose by 0.9% in July, marking the second consecutive month of growth, despite high prices and increasing mortgage rates, with the rise attributed to an expanding job market and the potential for further increases given the number of failed offers; however, year-over-year pending transactions fell by 14%.
US housing inventory continues to be tight, with a 9.2% decrease in the number of homes for sale compared to last year, marking the fourth consecutive month of annual declines, although total inventory has shown monthly increases and is up 19% since January.
British house prices in August 2023 experienced their biggest annual decline since July 2009, falling by 5.3% due to higher interest rates reducing buyer demand, according to mortgage lender Nationwide.
Home prices, which had been steadily rising since January, may be starting to decline again due to weakening month-to-month gains and higher mortgage rates.
Average 30-year mortgage rates are still elevated at 6.94% in August, but they are expected to come down by the end of the year; however, a significant drop that will boost homebuying demand is not likely until 2024 or 2025, but there are advantages to buying a home even when rates are high, such as less competition.
Mortgage rates have risen significantly, but while higher-end homes have experienced price declines, lower-end homes have remained relatively unaffected, leading to a divergence in the housing market.
US mortgage rates have decreased slightly for the second consecutive week, but they remain above 7%, causing home affordability to reach its lowest level in nearly four decades.
The Atlanta-area housing market in August reached a plateau with slow price increases due to high mortgage rates, limited inventory, and a housing shortage, but experts predict a flood of buying once mortgage rates decrease.
The housing market activity remains subdued due to fluctuating mortgage rates and low housing supply, leading to decreased demand and affordability challenges for potential homebuyers.
New home sales in Beijing have increased by 16.9% in the week of September 4-10, indicating that government efforts to revive the property sector are having an impact in the Chinese capital. However, the rebound in sales is not reflected across the rest of China, with sales falling 20% on average nationwide.
Mortgage rates have slightly decreased from their peak in late August, but future trends will depend on the economy and inflation rates, with potential decreases if inflation slows and the Federal Reserve stops increasing its benchmark rate.
In August, the highest rate of home sale deal cancellations since October 2022 was seen, with nearly 16% of deals being canceled due to soaring mortgage rates and buyers getting cold feet.
Rising borrowing costs have led to the highest rate of canceled home purchases in almost a year, with nearly 60,000 deals falling through in August, equaling 16% of homes under contract.
More than a third of homes for sale in the UK have experienced price cuts, the highest proportion in over a decade, suggesting that some sellers were initially too optimistic about their asking prices, according to property website Rightmove. The average size of the reduction is also the largest since January 2011 at 6.2%, with the typical cut amounting to £22,709. The housing market has been affected by a slump following consecutive interest rate rises, although there are signs of activity starting to pick up.
Buyers in the housing market are resilient as they face low inventory and high prices, with nearly half of homes selling above list price and many making multiple offers to secure their dream homes, according to a survey by Bright MLS.
The Greater Boston housing market experienced a slow month in August, with home sales dropping to their lowest point for the month since 2010, primarily due to higher interest rates and a shortage of available homes for sale, leading to increased competition and higher prices for buyers.
Home prices in California reached a 15-month high in August 2023, attributed to rising mortgage rates and a shortage of homes on the market, but the market is expected to improve in the last quarter of the year as interest rates ease, according to the California Association of Realtors.
US home building declined in August, with housing starts dropping to the lowest level since June 2020 due to elevated mortgage rates and limited inventory, despite an increase in building permits.
The pace of new construction in the housing market slowed in August due to high mortgage rates and weakening demand, with housing starts falling to the lowest level since 2020, although building permits increased month over month.
U.S. home price growth increased to 2.5% year-over-year in July, with Miami, St. Louis, and Detroit driving the growth, while 11 states saw annual home price declines, according to CoreLogic's latest home price index data. Rising mortgage rates and a lack of inventory are putting pressure on potential homebuyers, and pending home sales have seen slight upticks, particularly in the West and South regions.
Home prices continued to rise in August due to low inventory and high mortgage rates, causing a drop in home sales, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors.
The United States housing market has seen a 21 percent decline in previously occupied home sales over the past year, continuing the slowdown caused by rising interest rates, while prices continue to rise despite the decrease in sales, leading to a shortage of affordable homes and worsening home affordability for the foreseeable future.
Sales of previously owned homes in the US fell for the third consecutive month in August, as higher mortgage rates, rising prices, and a lack of available properties have limited homebuyers' options.
Sales of previously owned homes fell 0.7% in August from July, with high mortgage rates and tight supply impacting potential buyers.
Homebuyers are making fewer deals in August due to rough housing conditions, and the situation may worsen with potential mortgage rate increases to 8%.
Home sales in the American Midwest defied the national trend by increasing in August, while sales across the country declined, due to high mortgage rates and low supply, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Overall, home sales decreased by 0.7% in August and over 15% from the previous year, but analysts noted a stabilization in the market. The Midwest saw a 1% increase in home sales compared to July, but a more than 16% decline compared to the previous year.