Economic Data and Growth

Existing home sales dipped 2.5% in August and fell 4.2% from August 2023. Housing inventory rose to 1.35 million units, reflecting a 0.7% increase from July and a 22.7% boost from last year. The median existing home price was $416,700, up 3.1% from last year, with all four U.S. regions reporting price increases.

Single-family home sales decreased 2.8% from July, with the median price increasing 2.9% from August 2023 to $422,100. Condo and co-op sales held steady month-over-month but declined 11.6% from the previous year, with the median price up 3.5% from the prior year to $354,200.

Homes were typically on the market for 26 days in August, up from July’s 24 days and 20 days in August 2023. First-time buyers made up 26% of sales, matching the all-time low from November 2021 and down from 29% in both July and a year ago. All-cash sales accounted for 26% of transactions in August, while investor purchases represented 19%. Distressed sales remained steady at 1%.

In the Northeast, existing home sales dropped 2.0% from July, with a median price of $503,200, up 7.7% from last year. The Midwest saw no change in sales month-over-month, but the median price rose to $315,400, a 3.8% increase from August 2023. In the South, sales fell 3.9% from July, with a median price of $367,000, reflecting a 1.6% year-over-year rise. The West reported a 2.7% sales decline from July and a 1.4% decrease from the previous year, with a median price of $622,500, up 2.2% from a year ago. The housing market remained sluggish with sales dipping across the country.