September New Home Sales Outpace 2018 Despite Slight Decline

September saw a decline in the contracts for new, single family homes, but it remains higher than 2018 as this year continues to show growth over the last. More homes built are in the lower-priced range than last year, complementing the fact that more affordable homes sold in September than more expensive options.

Contracts for new, single-family home sales inched down 0.7% in September to a 701,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate according to estimates from the joint release of HUD and the Census Bureau. The decline came off a downwardly revised August estimate, which was decreased from an initial reading of 713,000 to a new estimate of 706,000. Year-over-year, the September estimate is 15.5% higher. Sales in September continue strength supported by lower mortgage rates.

Total sales for the first nine months of 2019 (527,000) were 7.2% higher than the comparable total for 2018 (491,000). We expect sales volume to continue to trend up slightly in the coming months as more new homes are built.

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