U.S. Asking Prices Post Smallest Increase in Nearly 2 Years As Home Sellers Adjust to Buyer’s Market
Slowing price growth is good news for homebuyers. So are shrinking housing payments, with the median U.S. mortgage payment falling to its lowest level in five months.
The median U.S. asking price is $403,000, up just 2.2% year over year, the smallest increase in nearly two years.
Asking prices are losing steam because it’s a buyer’s market and sellers are realizing they must price lower to attract buyers. There were roughly half a million more home sellers than buyers in the U.S. as of springtime. While new listings have since slowed, rising just 0.6% year over year this week, there are still many more listings than sales: The total number of homes for sale is up 11%, while pending home sales are down 1.7%.
Sale-price growth is losing steam, too. Although the median sale price hit a record high during the four weeks ending July 20, it’s up just 1.6% year over year, compared to 5% to 6% growth throughout most of 2024 and the start of 2025.
Another piece of hopeful news for house hunters: The median monthly mortgage payment is $2,679, its lowest level in nearly five months. Housing payments are coming down from their peak because price growth is slowing and mortgage rates, while up slightly from two weeks ago, are sitting near their lowest level of the year.
“The housing market is testing the patience of some sellers, but it’s perking up the interest of first-time homebuyers, who are finally seeing affordability improve,” said Chaley McVay, a Redfin Premier agent in Portland, OR. “A lot of first-timers are opting for condos with reasonable HOA fees, which they’re often able to get for under asking price. Buyers should also keep an eye out for homes that have been on the market for over a month without a price drop. Sellers may be willing to accept a lower offer rather than drop their price, especially if the seller is already under contract on their next home or needs to move out of town.”
Redfin economists say this is a window of opportunity for buyers to jump into the market. Housing payments may decline slightly in the next few months, with sale prices expected to fall 1% year over year by the end of 2025, but buyers could lose some negotiating power as listings drop off.
For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page.
Leading indicators
| Indicators of homebuying demand and activity | ||||
| Value (if applicable) | Recent change | Year-over-year change | Source | |
| Daily average 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 6.78% (July 23) | Up from 6.67% two weeks earlier | Down from 6.9% | Mortgage News Daily |
| Weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 6.75% (week ending July 17) | Up from a 3-month low of 6.67% hit 2 weeks earlier | Down slightly from 6.77% | Freddie Mac |
| Mortgage-purchase applications (seasonally adjusted) | Up 3% from a week earlier (as of week ending July 18) | Up 22% | Mortgage Bankers Association | |
| Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index | Essentially unchanged from a month earlier (as of week ending July 20) | Up 1% | A measure of tours and other homebuying services from Redfin agents | |
| Touring activity | Up 35% from the start of the year (as of July 21) | At this time last year, it was up 20% from the start of 2024 | ShowingTime, a home touring technology company | |
Key housing-market data
| U.S. highlights: Four weeks ending July 20, 2025
Redfin’s national metrics include data from 400+ U.S. metro areas, and are based on homes listed and/or sold during the period. Weekly housing-market data goes back through 2015. Subject to revision. |
|||
| Four weeks ending July 20, 2025 | Year-over-year change | Notes | |
| Median sale price | $399,000 | 1.6% | All-time high |
| Median asking price | $403,000 | 2.2% | Smallest increase since August 2023 |
| Median monthly mortgage payment | $2,679 at a 6.75% mortgage rate | 2% | Lowest level in nearly 5 months |
| Pending sales | 81,981 | -1.7% | |
| New listings | 93,053 | 0.6% | |
| Active listings | 1,168,464 | 11% | Smallest increase since March 2024 |
| Months of supply | 3.9 | +0.3 pts. | 4 to 5 months of supply is considered balanced, with a lower number indicating seller’s market conditions |
| Share of homes off market in two weeks | 33.2% | Down from 37% | |
| Median days on market | 39 | +6 days | |
| Share of homes sold above list price | 27.5% | Down from 31% | |
| Average sale-to-list price ratio | 99% | Down from 99.4% | |
|
Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending July 20, 2025 Redfin’s metro-level data includes the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Select metros may be excluded from time to time to ensure data accuracy. |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metros with biggest year-over-year increases | Metros with biggest year-over-year decreases |
Notes |
|
| Median sale price | Cleveland (13.6%)
Newark, NJ (8.5%) Nassau County, NY(8.3%) Detroit (7.7%) Cincinnati (6.9%) |
Oakland, CA (-7.6%) West Palm Beach, FL (-4.9%) Jacksonville, FL (-3.9%) Austin, TX (-3%) Tampa, FL (-2.7%) |
Declined in 13 metros |
| Pending sales | Virginia Beach, VA (12.4%)
Phoenix (11.5%) Warren, MI (7.6%) Montgomery County, PA (5.7%) Pittsburgh (5.4%) |
Las Vegas (-14%)
Miami (-13.9%) Tampa, FL (-13.3%) Orlando, FL (-12%) Houston (-10.9%) |
|
| New listings | Montgomery County, PA (14.3%)
Cleveland (12.4%) Houston (10.8%) Philadelphia (10.2%) Boston (7.9%) |
Nashville, TN (-15.6%)
Tampa, FL (-15.4%) Jacksonville, FL (-14.6%) Orlando, FL (-14.2%) Sacramento, CA (-11.4%) |
|
Refer to our metrics definition page for explanations of all the metrics used in this report.
The post U.S. Asking Prices Post Smallest Increase in Nearly 2 Years As Home Sellers Adjust to Buyer’s Market appeared first on Redfin Real Estate News.
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