08/26/2026
US Buyers See More Builder Incentives
Builder confidence across the US remained subdued in late Q2, with the NAHB index holding at 35 for the 14th consecutive month below 40. Affordability challenges, rising costs, and higher mortgage rates are keeping pressure on both builders and buyers. As a result, more than 60% of builders offered sales incentives during this period, and about 35% reduced prices—on average, by around 6% for new-home buyers nationwide. The ongoing shortage of roughly 1.2 million homes continues to weigh on the market, and industry leaders note that builder sentiment is likely to stay muted until some of these barriers—like regulation, taxes, and fees, which add over 25% to the average new single-family home price—are addressed. For anyone watching the market closely, current sales conditions registered at 38, future sales at 45, and buyer traffic at just 25 in late Q2, pointing to a cautious outlook. As someone who monitors these trends as part of my daily work with eXp Realty, I keep a close eye on how these shifts might impact buyers and sellers in our local market.
