Home purchase cancellations above pre-pandemic levels

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(NewsNation) — Would-be home buyers are getting cold feet when it comes to pulling the trigger on purchasing a house.

New data from Redfin shows home purchase cancellations are above pre-pandemic levels. Some of the areas that saw a boom in population during and after the pandemic are the same places where people are backing out of buying a home.

About 15.1% of all home sales fell out of contract in October, the most recent month of data available. That’s up from 14.3% a year earlier.

Realtors are saying the economy is the main factor with high housing costs and high interest rates. It’s also a buyer’s market right now, meaning those who back out of one deal assume they can find a better deal elsewhere.

Existing home sales fell 1% year over year, and despite it being a buyer’s market, the market itself hasn’t caught up because home prices continue to go up.

According to realtor.com, the national median home sale price in November was $409,200, which is a more than 1% increase from October and the 29th consecutive month home prices have risen.

Real estate analysts are saying that overall sales have largely stagnated since 2023, when around 4 million homes were sold each year.

San Antonio leads the nation in canceled deals, according to Redfin, with 21% of pending home sales falling through in October. It’s followed by Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Fort Worth, Texas; Las Vegas; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Florida buyers have cited natural disasters, and with that, increased homeowners’ insurance, as reasons for backing out.

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