Homebuyers may catch a break this month as rates have come down nearly a point from the recent high on fears of a recession.

The national rental vacancy rate dropped to 5.6% in the second quarter of the year while the homeowner vacancy rate remained at 0.8%.

Home prices were up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis and 0.6% month over month. Looking ahead, CoreLogic expects year-over-year appreciation to slow to 4.3% by June 2023. 

“Contract signings to buy a home will keep tumbling down as long as mortgage rates keep climbing, as has happened this year to date.” — National Association of Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun  

At the same time, the inventory of new homes for sale rose 10.7%, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported.

The pace of new multifamily construction, however, jumped, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  

Inflation and high mortgage rates are impacting potential homebuyers which means fewer sales, more supply and a drop in home prices. 

A record number of homebuyers are relocating to more affordable areas as rising mortgage rates, high home prices, inflation and economic concerns are starting to make some areas of the country out of reach for buyers.

At the same time, the median existing-home price rose 13.4% year over year to $416,000. 

Nationwide, sales hit their highest level of the year, rising 4.7% from June but falling 17.6% on a year-over-year basis, RE/MAX said. 

July saw the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index post its second-largest monthly drop ever, as worries about housing affordability dampened builder sentiment. 

High mortgage rates and increased prices are keeping homebuyers on the sidelines.

Today buyers are finding more inventory, slowing price growth, competition declines and dropping mortgage rates.

The increase ends a six-month string of monthly declines, the National Association of REALTORS® said.

New-home inventory rose to 444,000 homes in May from 437,000 homes in April, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported.  

Meanwhile, existing-home sales slid 3.4% from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.41 million, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.