US new home sales rise 6% in August 2026 to 684,000 as builders lean on price cuts

New single-family home sales in the US climbed to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000 in August 2026, a 6.4% jump from July’s revised figure of 643,000. The data, published September 24 by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, offered a welcome bounce after a rough summer for homebuilders. August’s pace was still 2.0% below the 698,000 rate posted in August 2025, and builders are increasingly relying on price cuts and sweetened incentives to keep buyers coming through the door. The numbers behind the rebound July 2026 was ugly by any standard. The original SAAR reading came in at 607,000, reflecting a 10.5% month-over-month drop and a 6.3% decline year-over-year. That revised up to 643,000, but either way, August’s 684,000 looks more like a snapback than the start of a new trend. Inventory sat at 483,000 homes available for sale, essentially unchanged from July. What did change was the months’ supply metric, which ticked down to 8.5 from 9.0 the prior month. The median sales price inched up 0.4% from July to $393,700. Against last year, though, the median was down 5.8%. Average sales prices fell to $478,700, down 9.1% from July and 8.8% com...