US New-Home Sales Expected to Rise in August After Decline in July

02:55 PM EDT, 09/23/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US new single family home sales are expected to rise to a 616,000 annual rate in August based on a survey compiled by Bloomberg, after decreasing to a 607,000 annual rate in July. Sales would still be well below the 698,000 annual rate reported in August 2025. The data are scheduled to be released at 10:00 am ET Thursday. Single-family existing home sales fell by 1.9% in August, according to data released on Sept 10, and were down 1.1% from a year ago. Recent mortgage application data from the Mortgage Bankers Association indicated that mortgage rates increased at the start of August but decreased at the end of month before rebounding in September. The supply of new homes for sale was below its year-ago level in last month's report for July and prices were also lower. Home building data for April released on Sept. 17 showed declines in housing starts, building permits and home completions. The National Association of Home Builders reported on Sept. 16 that builder sentiment rose to an index reading of 35 in August from 34 in July before falling to a reading of 32 in September, noting continuing affordability challenges.