Updated
Updated · WTVC · Jul 9
US Existing-Home Sales Fall 2.4% as Median Price Hits Record $440,600
Updated
Updated · WTVC · Jul 9

US Existing-Home Sales Fall 2.4% as Median Price Hits Record $440,600

3 articles · Updated · WTVC · Jul 9

Summary

  • 4.09 million existing homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in June, down 2.4% from May even as sales edged up 2.8% from a year earlier.
  • $440,600 marked a record median price, while the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate stood at 6.49% in May, keeping affordability tight during the peak summer selling season.
  • 1.56 million homes were on the market, equal to a 4.6-month supply that NAR still sees as below a balanced market, with the lock-in effect discouraging owners with lower mortgage rates from listing.
  • Prices were up just 1.8% from a year ago—slower than 3.5% wage growth—but homes still cost about 50% more than six years ago, leaving buyers cautious and sales far below the 5 million to 6 million pace seen before and during the pandemic boom.
  • NAR said first-half sales topped the same period in 2025 and 2024, suggesting gradual improvement despite monthly volatility; the group had already cut its 2026 sales-growth forecast to 4% from 14%.

Insights

Despite a monthly dip, home sales are up from last year. Is this a market slowdown or a stabilization before another surge?
With prices hitting records despite fewer sales, what financing strategies are buyers using to overcome high rates and enter the market?
Why is the luxury housing market surging while affordable home sales fall, and what does this growing divide signal for the economy?