July home sales weakened as prices continued to rise, underscoring the affordability pressure dividing US buyers. Existing-home sales fell 1.7% from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million, while the median sales price rose 2% year over year to $434,100. First-time buyers accounted for 29% of transactions.
The median price of a newly built home, meanwhile, fell to $398,300 in June. Lower-priced homes captured a larger share of sales as builders relied on price cuts and incentives to reach buyers facing elevated borrowing costs.
What the K-shaped housing market data show
In housing, the split shows up in the gap between what households can afford and the homes available within their price range. A housing affordability analysis published in May found that households earning about $75,000 could afford homes priced up to roughly $261,000. Properties below that threshold represented 23% of active listings in March, compared with about 44% in the researchers’ definition of a balanced market.
New single-family home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000 in June, 1.6% above May and 5.6% below June 2025. Neither change was statistically significant. The median new-home price was $398,300, 2.7% below a year earlier, although Census said the change was not statistically significant.
Homes below $300,000 accounted for 23% of June sales, up from 16% a year earlier, according to a new-home sales analysis. The shift reflected both builder price cuts and a larger share of sales in the relatively affordable Midwest.
In a separate July builder survey, 37% of builders reported cutting prices, up from 35% in June. The average reduction was 6%, while 63% offered sales incentives. For agents, builder incentives such as rate buydowns, closing-cost assistance, and upgrades can change the effective cost of a new home even when the list price moves little.
What the national data don’t show
The Census figures cover new single-family homes nationally and regionally; they do not identify buyers by income or describe individual markets. The national price decline therefore should not be read as evidence that every market is becoming more affordable or that all entry-level buyers are being priced out.
At the end of June, an estimated 485,000 new homes were for sale, equal to 9.3 months of supply at the current sales pace. Local inventory can look markedly different. New-home and resale figures also measure different stages of a transaction. Census counts a new home as sold when a contract is signed or a deposit is accepted, while existing-home sales generally reflect completed transactions.
Local price tiers tell a different story
- Compare new construction by price band. Entry-level, midmarket, and luxury inventory can move differently from an overall metro median.
- Track concessions separately from price cuts. Rate buydowns, closing-cost credits, and upgrades can materially alter a buyer’s financing equation.
- Compare builders with nearby resales. Buyer leverage remains uneven, and incentives can make two similarly priced properties substantially different in monthly cost.
July new-home sales are scheduled for release August 25. For now, builders are cutting prices and offering incentives while the resale market remains expensive and slow — a combination agents will need to measure price tier by price tier in their own markets.