by Median sales prices also fell 8% in the same period, offering buyers more affordable options
WASHINGTON — Sales of newly built single-family homes rose 18.7% from October 2024, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development earlier this week.
Sales totaled 737,000 units, up from 621,000 in October 2024 and .1% below the 738,000 sold in September, the department noted.
The report also noted that the median sales price of new homes sold in October 2025 was $392,300, 8% below the October 2024 price of $426,300 and 3.3% below the sale price of $405,800 in September. This suggests that aggressive builder incentives helped make new homes more affordable for young and older buyers alike.
Inventory levels were fairly stable, according to the data. For instance, there were 488,000 new homes for sale at the end of October, up 1.7% above the October 2024 estimate of 480,000 and unchanged from September, representing a 7.9-month supply based on current sales rates, which is 15.1% below 9.3 months in October 2024 and unchanged from September.
By region, the activity was as follows:
+ In the Northeast, 24,000 new homes were sold in October, down 40% from October 2024 and down 14.3% from September.
+ In the Midwest, there were 91,000 new homes sold in October, up 21.3% from October 2024 and down 9% from September.
+ In the South, there were 513,000 units sold, up 42.1% from October 2024 and up 16.9% from September.
+ In the West, there were 109,000 units sold, down 24.8% from October 2024 and down 36.3% from September.
Nationwide, 29% of the total homes sold were between $300,000 and $399,000, while 25% were under $300,000. Sixteen percent of the total were between $400,000 and $499,999, followed by 11% each for homes priced from $500,000 to $599,000 and homes priced from $600,000 to $799,999.
Two percent of the homes sold were priced between $800,000 and $999,999, and 6% were priced over $1 million.
Combined with lower interest rates, lower median pricing compared with October 2024 and September indicates that buyers have more money available in their budgets for other expenses such as furniture and appliances.
As we’ve noted before, this represents an opportunity for retailers to promote more heavily in their respective markets, particularly in areas where new homes are being built and sold for consumers eager to spend money on furniture they need and want to complete the package that their new homes represent in this important stage in their lives.
While perhaps stating the obvious, the industry simply can’t miss an opportunity that such double-digit growth represents in what’s likely the biggest driver of furniture sales.
