Existing-home sales rebounded modestly in February, recovering some ground after January’s sharp pullback, while improving affordability and slowly expanding inventory helped support buyer activity.Sales rose 1.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million.
“Housing affordability is improving, and consumers are responding,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. The group’s Housing Affordability Index rose to 117.6 in February, the highest reading since March 2022 and the eighth consecutive monthly improvement. Yun noted that wage growth is now outpacing home-price growth by nearly four percentage points, while mortgage rates are also lower than a year ago.
Inventory continued to expand, though at a measured pace. Total housing inventory increased to 1.29 million units, up 2.4% from January and 4.9% higher than a year earlier. That equates to a 3.8-month supply of homes at the current sales pace.
Price growth remained subdued but positive. The median existing-home price for all housing types rose to $398,000, a modest 0.3% increase from a year ago and the 32nd consecutive month of annual gains.
Regional Breakdown (Sales and Prices, February 2026)
| Region | Sales (annual rate) | MoM Change | Median Price | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 470k | -6.0% | $479,800 | +3.3% |
| Midwest | 940k | +1.1% | $302,100 | +2.3% |
| South | 1.89m | +1.6% | $356,800 | +0.2% |
| West | 790k | +8.2% | $603,100 | -1.9% |
National Market Stats
- Total Housing Inventory: 1.29 million units (up 2.4% from January; up 4.9% YoY)
- Unsold Inventory Supply: 3.8 months (unchanged from last month; up from 3.6 one year ago)
- Median Existing-Home Price: $398,000 (up 0.3% YoY; 32nd consecutive yearly increase)
- Single-Family Median Price: $401,800 (up 0.2% YoY)
- Condo/Co-op Median Price: $358,100 (up 0.9% YoY)
- Single-Family Sales: 3.73 million (up 2.5% MoM; down 1.1% YoY)
- Condo/Co-op Sales: 360k (down 5.3% MoM; down 5.3% YoY)
