Prices are down 3% in Austin, TX, more than any other metro, as near-record housing costs push homebuyers away. Nationwide, price drops are at their highest level since November 2022, suggesting more metros may soon see sale prices decline.
Home-sale prices are declining year over year in four major U.S. metros, three of them in Texas: Austin (-2.9%), San Antonio (-1.2%), Fort Worth (-1.2%) and Portland, OR (-0.9%). The last time prices fell in four or more metros was in January.
Nationwide, prices rose 4.4% from a year earlier to an all-time high during the four weeks ending June 2. But there are early indicators that national price growth could soften soon: 6.4% of U.S. home sellers cut their asking price, on average, the highest share since November 2022. And the typical active listing has been on the market for 46 days, up 2.3% year over year–the biggest increase in nine months, suggesting home listings are growing stale faster than they were a year ago.
Some listings are growing stale because high mortgage rates and housing costs are causing would-be buyers to back off. The weekly average mortgage rate rose back above 7% last week, pushing the median U.S. monthly housing payment to a near-record-high of $2,838. (It’s worth noting that daily average rates are declining this week after U.S. job openings fell to their lowest level in more than three years.) Pending home sales fell 3.8% year over year, the biggest decline in three months, and mortgage-purchase applications declined 4% week over week.
Inventory is losing momentum, too, which is another reason sales are falling. New listings posted one of their smallest year-over-year increases (6.9%) since February, with high mortgage rates discouraging homeowners from selling because it would mean giving up their low rate and trying to offload their home in a relatively slow market.
“There’s no getting around the fact that it’s expensive to buy a home right now, but some people are having luck negotiating with sellers,” said Bonnie Phillips, a Redfin Premier agent in Cleveland. “I’ve seen buyers get a home under asking price when it has been on the market for a few weeks. That’s especially true when their agent presents market data that supports a lower market value, like comps of similar homes nearby that have sold for less, or fewer than usual online views or tours. Other buyers are finding creative ways to afford a home, like buying a duplex, living in one unit and renting out the other.”
For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, including how current financial events are impacting mortgage rates, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page.
Refer to our metrics definition page for explanations of all the metrics used in this report.
