06/12/2026
“More Americans are on the move, with home sales rising to the highest level since December. Improving affordability is helping drive this momentum. Even with mortgage rates ticking up compared to earlier in the year, they remain lower than a year ago and are essentially at the long-term historical average.” – NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun
First-time buyers rose to 35% of all buyers — the highest share since June 2020 — driven by modest inventory improvements. Market outlook cooled for both buyers and sellers, with 25% of homes still selling above list price. Inspection contingency waivers dropped to 17%, down from 25% a year ago....