During the pandemic housing boom, from summer 2020 to spring 2022, the number of active homes for sale in most housing markets plummeted as homebuyer demand quickly absorbed almost everything that came up for sale and home sellers had ultimate power. Fast-forward to the current housing market, and the places where active inventory has rebounded to 2019 levels (due to strained affordability suppressing buyer demand) are now the very places where homebuyers have gained the most power.
Pending-home sales slid in July despite improvements in housing supply, affordability and mortgage rates as buyers remained on the sidelines, the National Association of REALTORS® said. The pace of sales ticked 0.4% lower month over month and 0.7% lower year over year nationwide, NAR said, adding that the West was the only geographic region to see a monthly gain, while the Midwest and South were the only areas with annual increases.