OCTOBER 2, 2025, EDITION

New home sales jumped more than 20% in August, up more than 15% from a year ago. Plus, median sales prices are more than 10% lower than their 2022 peak, and the supply of completed homes is the highest since 2009.

Sales of preowned homes were essentially unchanged in August. But inventories have risen almost 12% the past year, giving buyers more options, while the median price fell for the month.

In August, builders focused on completions, which were up more than 8% over July, while the number of housing starts and applications for building permits dipped for the month.

Realtor.com notes: “This fall is shaping up to be the most buyer-friendly market in nearly a decade, with more listings and motivated sellers,” adding “buyers may find a rare sweet spot of opportunity.”

DownPaymentResource.com is collaborating with both Realtor.com and Zillow to give buyers access to all the down payment assistance (DPA) programs available for each active MLS listing on those sites.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports buyers are active: “While homebuyer demand typically tends to decrease during the fall, purchase application activity remains relatively strong right now, running 18% ahead of last year’s pace”

DID YOU KNOW?… The median list price for a fixer-upper is $200,000—less than half the $436,250 median for all single-family homes. No wonder searches on Realtor.com for “fixer-upper” recently were three times higher than in 2021.

Following several weeks of declines, the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate inched up a smidge in Freddie Mac’s latest Mortgage Market Survey. Remember, mortgage rates can be extremely volatile, so check with your mortgage professional for up-to-the-minute information. 

The latest data shows the typical monthly mortgage payment is almost $300 lower than a few months ago. So, it may be worth taking a serious look now at buying. We’re happy to go over your budget and see if this fall is the right time to get you into your dream home.

Staged homes sell faster and for more money than homes that aren’t staged. But you don’t have to stage your whole home for a big impact—you just need to make it easy for buyers to picture themselves living there in the rooms they use most. We’re happy to help you find the level of staging that makes your home stand out.