According to the New Residential Construction Report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, sales of new single-family houses hold strong at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 in September 2026.
This is a minor 0.6% decline from a bright August report and a 5.3% year-over-year dip. The median sales price recorded at $400,400, up 3.9% month-to-month, yet is down 3.9% compared to the year before.
Total for-sale inventory slowed to 476,000 units, bringing supply down to an 8.4-month pace.
“Affordability remains a significant hurdle for prospective home buyers,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). “Builders continue to offer incentives and adjust pricing to attract buyers, but elevated mortgage rates and high home prices are limiting the number of households that can afford to purchase a home.”
Overall, resilient buyers, particularly in price tiers under $400,000, made up over half of all sales. This signals continuing opportunities for homebuilders operating targeted incentives, which, according to NAHB, 65% of homebuilders offer.
