Existing-Home Sales Slid 1.0% in September

WASHINGTON (October 23, 2024) – Existing-home sales drew back in September, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Three out of four major U.S. regions registered sales declines while the West experienced a sales bounce. Year-over-year, sales fell in three regions but grew in the West.

Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – receded 1.0% from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.84 million in September. Year-over-year, sales waned 3.5% (down from 3.98 million in September 2023).

“Home sales have been essentially stuck at around a four-million-unit pace for the past 12 months, but factors usually associated with higher home sales are developing,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “There are more inventory choices for consumers, lower mortgage rates than a year ago and continued job additions to the economy. Perhaps, some consumers are hesitating about moving forward with a major expenditure like purchasing a home before the upcoming election.”

Total housing inventory registered at the end of September was 1.39 million units, up 1.5% from August and 23.0% from one year ago (1.13 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 4.3-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.2 months in August and 3.4 months in September 2023.

“More inventory is certainly good news for home buyers as it gives consumers more properties to view before making a decision,” Yun said. “However, the inventory of distressed properties is minimal because the mortgage delinquency rate remains very low. Distressed property sales accounted for only 2% of all transactions in September.”

The median existing-home price for all housing types in September was $404,500, up 3.0% from one year ago ($392,700). All four U.S. regions registered price increases.

“Moderating home price increases are welcome news for home buyers,” Yun added. “With wage growth now outpacing home price appreciation, housing affordability will improve.”

REALTORS® Confidence Index

According to the monthly REALTORS® Confidence Index, properties typically remained on the market for 28 days in September, up from 26 days in August and 21 days in September 2023.

First-time buyers were responsible for 26% of sales in September – matching the all-time low from August 2024 and November 2021 – and down from 27% in September 2023. NAR’s 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers – released in November 2023  – found that the annual share of first-time buyers was 32%.

All-cash sales accounted for 30% of transactions in September, up from 26% in August and 29% in September 2023.

Individual investors or second-home buyers, who make up many cash sales, purchased 16% of homes in September, down from 19% in August and 18% in September 2023.

Distressed sales – foreclosures and short sales – represented 2% of sales in September, virtually unchanged from last month and the previous year.

Mortgage Rates

According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.44% as of October 17. That’s up from 6.32% one week ago but down from 7.63% one year ago.

Single-family and Condo/Co-op Sales

Single-family home sales edged lower by 0.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.47 million in September, down 2.3% from the previous year. The median existing single-family home price was $409,000 in September, up 2.9% from September 2023.

Existing condominium and co-op sales dropped 5.1% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 370,000 units, down 14.0% from one year ago (430,000 units). The median existing condo price was $361,600 in September, up 2.2% from the previous year ($353,900).

Regional Breakdown

Existing-home sales in the Northeast in September retracted 4.2% from August to an annual rate of 460,000, down 6.1% from September 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $467,100, up 6.0% from last year.

In the Midwest, existing-home sales slipped 2.2% in September to an annual rate of 900,000, down 5.3% from the prior year. The median price in the Midwest was $306,600, up 5.0% from September 2023.

Existing-home sales in the South decreased 1.7% from August to an annual rate of 1.72 million in September, down 5.5% from one year before. The median price in the South was $359,700, up 0.8% from one year earlier.

In the West, existing-home sales ascended 4.1% in September to an annual rate of 760,000, up 5.6% from a year ago. The median price in the West was $616,400, up 1.7% from September 2023.

About the National Association of REALTORS®

The National Association of REALTORS® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes – from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation – visit facts.realtor.

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For local information, please contact the local association of REALTORS® for data from local multiple listing services (MLS). Local MLS data is the most accurate source of sales and price information in specific areas, although there may be differences in reporting methodology.

NOTE: NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index for September is scheduled for release on October 30, and Existing-Home Sales for October will be released on November 21. Release times are 10 a.m. Eastern.

¹ Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR benchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs.

Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90% of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample – about 40% of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

² Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982 (prior to 1999, single-family sales accounted for more than 90% of transactions and condos were measured only on a quarterly basis).

³ The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical of market conditions than average prices, which are skewed higher by a relatively small share of upper-end transactions. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if additional data is received.

The national median condo/co-op price often is higher than the median single-family home price because condos are concentrated in higher-cost housing markets. However, in a given area, single-family homes typically sell for more than condos as seen in NAR’s quarterly metro area price reports.

⁴ Survey results represent owner-occupants and differ from separately reported monthly findings from NAR’s REALTORS® Confidence Index, which include all types of buyers. The annual study only represents primary residence purchases, and does not include investor and vacation home buyers. Results include both new and existing homes.

⁵ Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), days on market, first-time buyers, all-cash transactions and investors are from a monthly survey for the NAR’s REALTORS® Confidence Index, posted at nar.realtor.