For a prospective home buyer, the more homes there are for sale the better. After all, more available homes means more choices and a better chance at finding the one that meets your needs. Lately, though, inventory has been an issue. A lower than normal number of homes for sale has led to price spikes, more competition, and bidding wars between buyers. Which means, any news of improved inventory is good news for home buyers. That's why recently released numbers from one online real-estate portal are encouraging. The analysis found that active listings have now risen 16 percent above where they were at their 2021 low. And while they're still 23 percent below last year at the same time, that's the smallest decline since September 2020. In other words, the number of homes for sale is improving and it's helping buying conditions.

If you're a prospective home buyer, the latest existing-home sales data from the National Association of Realtors is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the number of homes for sale was up 7.3 percent in July from the month before. That's a much needed improvement, since the lack of homes for sale has been driving home prices higher and fueling competition among buyers. But while inventory has improved, it's still much lower than normal. And, in July, 89 percent of homes sold were on the market for less than a month. That means, while buying conditions may be improving, the market is still hot. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says the supply of entry-level homes remains particularly low. “We see inventory beginning to tick up, which will lessen the intensity of multiple offers,” Yun said. “Much of the home sales growth is still occurring in the upper-end markets, while the mid-to lower-tier areas aren't seeing as much growth because there are still too few starter homes available.” Overall, sales of previously owned homes were up 2 percent in July, marking the second straight month of gains. 

New technology always take a while before it catches on. People need to warm up to the idea and make sure it can deliver as promised. That's certainly true of 3D printed homes. At this point, most of us have heard about them but few of us have seen or stepped inside one. According to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors, however, that doesn't mean home buyers aren't curious. In fact, results show 66 percent of respondents said they'd consider buying a 3D printed home, with 75 percent of millennials saying they would. George Ratiu, the site's senior economist, says the time may be right for an alternative. “Over the past decade, as the home building industry focused mainly on the upper-end of housing, expecting younger generations to favor renting, the price of construction has pushed new homes out of reach for many first-time home buyers,” Ratiu said. But while buyers are interested in a lower cost, more efficient house, they have concerns about 3D printing. Among them, many respondents said they don't yet trust the technology and would want to wait and see before seriously considering it.

In a competitive market, a good home is likely to draw multiple offers. That means, the home's seller gets to choose the best one. And more often than not, that means choosing the one that offers the most money. For home sellers, that's an ideal situation. For buyers, though, it's stressful. It means figuring out how much more you're willing to pay for a house you really want. It also means realizing you might lose it to someone willing to pay more. Unfortunately, in today's market, bidding wars are common. In fact, according to a recent analysis of homes sold in July, 60 percent saw competition. The good news, though, is the rate is falling. By comparison, 67 percent of homes sold in June had a bidding war. That's a pretty significant drop and a hopeful sign that home buyers will begin to see a more balanced, and less competitive, market in the months ahead. 

There are more home buyers looking for an affordable home than there are affordable homes to buy. That's been true for awhile now. It's part of the reason home prices keep rising. But while inventory is still down significantly from last year, the number of new listings has begun to improve. And, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors' consumer website, the number of available smaller homes is now climbing faster than other categories. In fact, the share of homes between 750 and 1,750 square feet rose from 30.2 percent in July 2020 to 36.3 percent in July 2021. By comparison, the share of homes between 3,000 and 6,000 square feet has fallen 4.1 percent during the same period. Overall, new listings are up 6.5 percent over last year. Danielle Hale, the website's chief economist, says the trend is good for buyers. “This is shifting the housing market balance in a more buyer-friendly direction, but buyers may not see as much price moderation as suggested by the national trend because it's partly attributed to a shift toward smaller homes for sale,” Hale said.

Homes sell quickly these days. Anyone who's shopped for a house recently knows this. A quality house listed on a Thursday will sometimes not even last through the weekend. That's good for home sellers but can be stressful for buyers. Which is why new numbers tracking home sales over the four-week period ending August 1 offer encouragement. The data shows that 49.7 percent of homes had an accepted offer within two weeks of being listed. And while that's fast – and nearly 6 percent higher than the same time last year – it's also about the same as it's been since early July. In other words, homes are still selling quickly but the rate has begun to plateau. That could be a sign that the red-hot housing market is beginning to cool, heading into the second half of summer. And, if the trend continues, it may mean home buyers find more available homes for sale and a little less competition than they did earlier in the year.

When the pandemic began in early 2020, there were fears that it would hurt the housing market and home values. However, those fears were quickly set aside as home buyers returned and prices rose. In short, the housing market survived relatively unscathed as the coronavirus caused volatility and uncertainty nearly everywhere else. Now, more than a year later, a new report shows that it continues to thrive. In fact, according to ATTOM Data Solutions' U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, the number of equity-rich properties – those whose loans are no more than 50 percent of the property's estimated value – continues to rise, while the number of seriously underwater homes is falling. Todd Teta, ATTOM's chief product officer, says the pandemic has actually helped homeowners. “Instead of the virus pandemic harming homeowners, it's helped create conditions that have boosted the balance sheets of households all across the country,” Teta said.

Buying a house is not something we do very often. Studies show the average American only buys a home three times in their entire life. So it'd make sense that the share of Americans planning to buy at any given time would stay fairly consistent and relatively low. But new numbers from the National Association of Home Builders show buyer demand is actually rising, and quickly. The data – from the NAHB's most recent Housing Trends Report – found the share of Americans planning to buy in the next 12 months is higher than it's been in over two years. It's also nearly twice what it was at the beginning of 2020. In fact, among surveyed adults, 17 percent said they're planning to buy within the next year, which is a significant jump from 10 percent during the first quarter of 2020. But what's driving the increases? Well, according to the report, it's mostly younger Americans – with the biggest gains in buyer interest coming from millennials.

The number of contracts to buy homes signed in June fell 1.9 percent from the month before, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors. In May, they were up 8 percent month-over-month. The dramatic swing continues an up-and-down trend pending sales have followed since the start of the year. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says the volatility is due, in part, to rising home prices. “Buyers are still interested and want to own a home, but record-high home prices are causing some to retreat,” Yun said. But while home prices are rising everywhere, contract signings are doing better in some regions than others. In fact, last month, pending sales were up in the Northeast and Midwest and down in the South and West. “The Midwest region offers the most affordable costs for a home and hence that region has seen better sales activity compared to other areas in recent months,” Yun explained.

In today's market, first-time home buyers face challenges repeat buyers don't. Among them, saving for a down payment tops the list. Home prices are rising and, while current homeowners who are ready to move can use their increasing equity to cover some of the upfront costs of buying a home, first-time buyers have to save a down payment from scratch. That can be a challenge in a market where prices continue to climb. In fact, according to one recent analysis, to cover a 20 percent down payment on the typical starter home, the average renter would now have to save for a full year longer than they would've just five years ago. Fortunately, though, options exist. For one, a 20 percent down payment isn't required. Most first-time buyers put down less than 20 percent and about a quarter of them put down 5 percent or less. And, with mortgage rates hovering just above historic lows, a smaller down payment doesn't necessarily mean an unmanageable monthly mortgage bill. It can, however, mean a chance at becoming a homeowner – even in a challenging market.