A quick, plain-English look at what's happening in the housing market today — updated every day so you always have the latest before you make your next move.
Last updated: September 22, 2026
National Market Snapshot
- Mortgage rates: The 30-year fixed held steady at 6.95%, and the 15-year fixed at 6.26% — unchanged from Freddie Mac's survey last week, with the next update due Thursday.
- Sales activity: Existing home sales slipped to 3.98 million in August (down 2.0% from July, down 1.2% year-over-year) — the slowest pace since June 2025, though sales are still up 1.6% year-to-date.
- Inventory: Supply climbed to 1.62 million homes nationally — a 4.9-month supply, the highest level in over a decade — giving buyers noticeably more room to shop.
- Inflation & rates: Core inflation eased slightly to 2.4% year-over-year, while headline inflation held at 3.4%, keeping the door open for rates to drift lower.
- Home prices: The national median existing-home price rose 1.6% year-over-year to $429,100 — the 38th straight month of price gains.
Local Spotlight: Hopkinsville, KY
- Median sale price: $249,900
- Average days on market: 46 days — down from 55 days a year ago
- Sales volume: 215 homes sold in August 2026, up sharply from 125 the same month last year
- Market feel: Leaning toward a seller's market — homes are moving faster and selling in greater numbers than a year ago, so well-priced listings aren't sitting long.
Big Stories in Real Estate
- Builder confidence just hit a 12-month low — the NAHB/Wells Fargo index fell to 32 in September (from 35 in August), with 66% of builders now offering incentives and 38% cutting prices outright (up from 63% and 35% in August) as rate pressure and thin demand weigh on the industry.
- New home permits held near 1.394 million annualized in August (down 2.7% from July but still up 3.5% year-over-year), while single-family housing starts jumped 7.6% — builders are shifting focus toward single-family homes.
- Beyond the mortgage itself, rising remodeling and repair costs — like roof replacements — are becoming a bigger part of the affordability conversation for buyers and owners alike.
Curious what any of this means for your specific situation? Let's talk it through.
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Sources: Freddie Mac, National Association of Realtors, U.S. Census Bureau, HousingWire, NAHB, Movoto (Hopkinsville, KY market data).