09/16/2026
Three U.S. Housing Signals for September
September brought a noticeable shift in the U.S. housing market: for the first time in eight months, pending home sales ticked down year-over-year as higher borrowing costs made buyers more cautious. Contract signings also eased compared to last year, and homes now take about 60 days to sell. At the same time, mortgage rates have risen from around 6% earlier this year to the high-6% range. This environment has given buyers a bit more leverage—median list prices slipped to $424,500, price cuts reached roughly 20% of listings, and delistings decreased compared to last year. Active inventory is up about 4%, but it’s worth noting that overall national inventory remains about 11% below what we typically saw before the pandemic. Even with more choices, the underlying shortage continues to shape the market. As someone who’s both bought and sold my own homes here in Greater Boston, and guided others through these cycles, I’m always keeping an eye on how sellers adjust their pricing strategies, how often homes are delisted, and whether regional differences are narrowing as everyone adapts to firmer borrowing costs.
