The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), which measures US homebuilder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes, slipped to 34 in July 2026 from 36 in June, coming in below expectations of 35. The index component tracking current sales conditions declined by one point to 37, while sales expectations for the next six months fell two points to 43. The measure of prospective buyer traffic also weakened, dropping two points to 23.
Signs of a cooling market continued to emerge. In July, 37% of builders reported cutting prices, up from 35% in June and 32% in May. The average price reduction held steady at 6% in July, unchanged from the prior month. The share of builders using sales incentives rose slightly to 63% from 62% in June, marking the 16th straight month in which at least 60% of builders reported offering incentives.
