
Rising mortgage rates cool US existing-home sales as August prices hit record
U.S. existing-home sales fell 2% in August to a 3.98 million annual pace—the slowest in more than a year—while the median price rose to $429,100, the August record. Mortgage rates are near 6.8% with potential to rise toward 7%, helping dampen demand even as supply climbs to a 4.9‑month inventory, the highest in more than a decade. First-time buyers accounted for about 30% of sales; regional declines accompanied continued price gains, especially in the Northeast. Year-to-date sales are roughly up 1.6% from the same period last year.













