Why Are Buyers Disappearing From the US Housing Market?
US home sellers outnumbered buyers by a record 57.9% in August. This is because 7% mortgage rates pushed buyers out. Meanwhile, more families are missing loan payments, and a top mortgage lender hit a record low. A buyers market usually signals relief for house hunters. This time, however, shrinking demand reflects stretched household budgets rather than cheaper homes. Sponsored Sponsored Why Are Buyers Disappearing From the US Housing Market? Redfin estimates that about 1.53 million sellers were active in August, the most since early 2020. Buyers, in contrast, fell to roughly 972,300. That is the lowest count in data going back to 2013. BREAKING ????: Housing Market Home Sellers now outnumber Home Buyers by the largest margin ever recorded ???? ???? pic.twitter.com/sS1rqZQ4k6 — Barchart (@Barchart) October 12, 2026 The reversal is stark. In early 2022, at the height of pandemic-era bidding wars, buyers outnumbered sellers by around 35%. Rising borrowing costs explain much of the retreat. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.28% on Oct. 1, its highest level since November 2023. Sellers are adjusting. Redfin data show 21.1% of listings had a price cut in the four weeks to Sept. 20, a seasonal high since tracking began in 2022. Sponsored Sponsored Are American Households Running Out of Room? The weakness extends beyond home sales.








