“Contract transactions slowed a bit in September and are showing signs of a calmer home price trend, as the market is running comfortably ahead of pre-pandemic activity.” — NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun

Home-price gains were once again broadly distributed, as all 20 cities in the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose, although in most cases at a slower rate than a month ago.

At the same time, the increase in interest rates drove fewer borrowers to refinance their loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

“There simply aren’t enough homes for sale relative to the demand fueled by millennials armed with low mortgage rate-driven house-buying power.” — First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi

The month also saw a slight shift in inventory, even though shortages continued.

The median existing-home price for all housing types in September was $352,800, up 13.3% on an annual basis, as every region in the country registered price increases.

The decrease was driven by a 5.1% month-over-month slide in the rate of multifamily starts, while single-family construction was flat.

The number of closed sales fell 12% month over month, while active inventory rose 5.6% to 7,362. Median sales prices dropped 4.8%, but that’s still up 7.3% from September 2020. 

Cape Cod’s housing market remained historically strong in September, despite declines from last year.

Asking prices for homes reached an all-time high in September, despite pending sales and new listings cooling.

Mortgage rates rose quickly last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 3.01%, up 0.13% from the week prior.

All four geographic regions saw increases, led by the Midwest, which clocked a 10.4% rise from July, and the South, where sales rose 8.6%. Pending transactions rose 7.2% in the West and 4.6% in the North.

The 10-city composite index rose 1.4% on a monthly basis and 19.1% on a yearly basis, while the 20-city composite gained 1.5% monthly and 19.9% annually. 

The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of July was 378,000, representing a supply of 6.1 months at the current sales rate.

The increase was driven by a 21.6% month-over-month spike in the rate of new multifamily construction. Single-family housing starts, meanwhile, slid 2.8%.

September’s reading of 76 was up one point from August, despite lingering challenges with labor and the building-material supply chain, the National Association of Home Builders reported, citing the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.