HomByt Daily Housing News
August 31, 2026
Sources: Bankrate, Freddie Mac, MBA, Census, Treasury/FRED, S&P Cotality Case-Shiller, NAHB, BLS, University of Michigan, DOL, BEA, Redfin, Realtor.com, NAR, Federal Reserve · Powered by HomByt Intelligence
Key Market Data
- Bankrate August 31 buyer read: national average 30-year fixed mortgage 6.73%; 15-year fixed 6.08%
- Freddie Mac August 27 PMMS: 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 6.66%, up from 6.65% last week; 15-year fixed averaged 5.98%, up from 5.95%
- Freddie Mac context: the 30-year fixed is nearly back to its recent high and remains tied to long-end Treasury and inflation expectations
- MBA weekly survey: 30-year fixed contract rate edged up to 6.78% for the week ending August 21; total applications fell 1.0%
- Latest Treasury daily curve, published August 28: 10-year 4.73%; 30-year 5.22%; 10s2s spread near 0.58 percentage points
- DOL initial jobless claims: 203,000 for the week ended August 22, down from the prior week's revised 207,000
- Redfin weekly housing data (four weeks ending August 23): new listings rose 0.4% week over week to 376,235, the highest level since April
- Redfin: pending sales fell 1.1% week over week to 307,830, the lowest level since February; active listings rose 0.5% to 1,504,085
- Redfin: median home-sale price rose 1.9% year over year to $400,649; median asking price was $394,353 and unchanged year over year
- Census August 18 new residential construction release: July housing starts fell 12.4% month over month to a 1.239 million annual pace and were down 13.5% year over year
- Census July building permits rose 5.0% month over month to a 1.443 million annual pace and were up 3.1% year over year
- Census single-family starts fell 9.9% to an 808,000 annual pace; single-family permits rose 2.5% to 894,000
- Census July new-home sales fell to a 607,000 annual pace from 678,000 in June; new-home inventory rose to 488,000 units, equal to 9.6 months of supply
- Census July new-home median sales price was $393,800, down 2.3% from June and 0.9% from July 2025
- S&P Cotality Case-Shiller August 25 release: June national home prices rose 1.5% year over year; the 20-city index rose 2.1%
- Conference Board August Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 89.4 from 90.2 in July; Expectations fell to 68.2 while Present Situation rose to 121.2
- NAHB August builder confidence: Housing Market Index rose to 35 from 34, still below 40 for the 16th straight month; 35% of builders cut prices in August
- BLS August 12 CPI release: July CPI rose 0.1% month over month and 3.4% year over year
- BLS core CPI: core prices rose 0.2% month over month and 2.5% year over year
- BLS August 13 PPI release: July final-demand PPI was unchanged month over month and rose 4.7% year over year
- Final demand less foods, energy, and trade services rose 0.4% month over month and 4.7% year over year
- Federal Reserve July 29 statement: target range held at 3.5% to 3.75% by a 9-3 vote, with three officials favoring a quarter-point hike
- Census August 14 retail-sales report: July retail and food services sales fell 0.6% month over month to $763.6 billion, but rose 5.0% year over year
- BEA July PCE release: PCE prices rose 0.2% month over month and 3.7% year over year; core PCE rose 0.2% monthly and 3.3% annually
- BLS August 7 employment report: July nonfarm payroll employment fell by 23,000, unemployment was 4.1%, and May-June payrolls were revised down by 103,000
- BLS wage data: average hourly earnings rose 3.2% year over year in July, with labor-force participation at 61.4%
- University of Michigan preliminary August sentiment: index fell to 51.0 from 55.2 in July, ending two consecutive months of improvement
- Realtor.com July report: list prices fell 2.4% year over year, 20% of listings had a price cut, and the typical home spent 57 days on market
- NAR August 11 release: July existing-home sales fell 1.7% month over month to a 4.06 million annual pace; median price rose 2.0% year over year to $431,400; inventory was 1.54 million homes, equal to 4.6 months of supply
- NAR August 18 pending-home-sales report: July contract signings fell 2.3% month over month and 2.2% year over year to the lowest level since January 2026
- NAHB August builder data: 63% of builders used sales incentives and 35% cut prices, with an average reduction of 6%
- Today's buyer watch list: whether Bankrate's 6.73% daily read and Freddie's 6.66% weekly benchmark stay range-bound, whether the 10-year holds near 4.73%, whether new-home inventory forces builder incentives, and where credits can close the payment gap
Market Trends
Mortgage rates are still high enough to keep affordability tight
Monday's buyer headline is stubborn affordability with tactical leverage: Bankrate's August 31 buyer read has the 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.73% and the 15-year fixed at 6.08%. Freddie Mac's August 27 PMMS moved slightly higher to 6.66% for the 30-year fixed and 5.98% for the 15-year fixed, while MBA's latest weekly read edged up to 6.78%. The latest Treasury daily curve put the 10-year Treasury at 4.73% and the 30-year at 5.22%. For buyers, the payment math is still a high-6% underwriting exercise.
Source: Bankrate, Freddie Mac, MBA, U.S. Treasury · August 21–31, 2026
https://www.freddiemac.com/pmmsNew listings keep climbing while pending sales hit a 6-month low
Redfin's August 27 weekly report, covering the four weeks ending August 23, says new listings rose 0.4% week over week to 376,235, the highest level since April. At the same time, pending sales fell 1.1% week over week to 307,830, their lowest level since February, as high housing costs and economic uncertainty keep many house hunters on the sidelines. Active listings rose to 1,504,085, their highest level since May. The median sale price rose 1.9% year over year to $400,649, while the seasonally adjusted median asking price was $394,353 and unchanged year over year.
Source: Redfin · Report for the four weeks ending August 23, 2026
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/redfin-reports-new-listings-hit-4-month-high-while-demand-slips-giving-serious-buyers-chance-to-get-a-deal-done-302861470.htmlNew construction is sending a buyer-leverage signal
Census reported July housing starts at a 1.239 million seasonally adjusted annual pace, down 12.4% from June and 13.5% from July 2025. Single-family starts fell 9.9% to 808,000. Permits moved in the opposite direction: total permits rose 5.0% to a 1.443 million annual pace, and single-family permits rose 2.5% to 894,000. The newer sales read is softer: July new single-family home sales fell to a 607,000 annual pace from 678,000 in June, while the number of new houses for sale rose to 488,000, equal to 9.6 months of supply. That is why builder credits, buydowns, and inventory-specific concessions stay central.
Source: Census Bureau / HUD New Residential Construction and New Residential Sales · August 18–25, 2026
https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/current/index.htmlPrices are still positive, but real appreciation is under pressure
Housing is still stuck in the middle: S&P Cotality Case-Shiller's August 25 release says June national home prices rose 1.5% year over year, with the 20-city index up 2.1%. That is still positive nominal appreciation, not a broad reset, but inflation is running faster than the national price gain. It also fits the softer demand tape: NAR's August 18 pending-home-sales report says July contract signings fell 2.3% month over month and 2.2% year over year, Realtor.com's July report says list prices fell 2.4% year over year with 20% of listings carrying price cuts, and NAHB's August HMI improved only to 35 with 35% of builders still cutting prices. The cleaner affordability channel remains concessions.
Source: S&P Cotality Case-Shiller, NAR, Realtor.com, NAHB · August 2026
https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/index-announcements/article/sp-corelogic-case-shiller-index-shows-annual-gain-in-june/