Particle.news
Download on the App Store
17 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Forecasters See 2026 Housing Reset With Modest Sales Gains and Rates Still Above 6%

Rising inventory plus only modest rate relief set the stage for small national price moves and widening regional splits.

How will the housing market hold up in 2026?
Homes are seen on a canal in Cape Coral, Florida, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by OCTAVIO JONES / AFP) (Photo by OCTAVIO JONES/AFP via Getty Images)
Image
Image

Overview

  • Most outlooks keep the 30-year mortgage above 6% in 2026, clustering near 6.1%–6.3% as borrowing costs ease only slightly.
  • Existing-home sales are projected to tick up in the single digits, ranging from Zillow’s 4.26 million (+4.3%) to Bright MLS’s 4.51 million (+9%).
  • Bright MLS expects for-sale supply to climb about 11% to roughly 1.426 million listings by year-end, offering buyers more options but only partial affordability relief.
  • Price growth is forecast to be modest nationally (~0.9%–1.2%), with declines expected in many Florida metros and parts of Texas and the Pacific Northwest, while the Midwest, Northeast and Bay Area hold firmer.
  • Zillow anticipates the weakest single-family starts since 2019 with builders leaning on incentives, and rent pressures easing as multifamily rents are forecast to rise just 0.3% nationally, excluding New York City.