Podcast Summary – Your Money Minute: August Home Sales Snapshot (10/7/25)

Host: Jessica Ettinger, CNBC
Guest Contributor: Diana Olek, CNBC
Episode Date: October 7, 2025
Episode Focus: Highlights and analysis of August 2025 U.S. home sales trends.

Overview

In this concise "Your Money Minute" episode, Jessica Ettinger delivers a rapid-fire update on the state of the U.S. housing market in August 2025. Fueled by surprising shifts in buyer interest and supply dynamics, the discussion centers on why new construction homes were the hot ticket over the summer and how supply constraints are shaping prices for existing homes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Surge in New Construction Sales

• Main Trend: Home buyers favored new construction in August, with builders luring shoppers by offering discounts, incentives, and especially mortgage rate buy downs.
• Statistical Highlight: Sales of new homes increased by a striking 20% month-to-month.
• Quote:

  “As the home builders offered discounts, incentives, and mortgage rate buy downs, buyers couldn't pass up. So sales popped up 20% month to month in August.” - Jessica Ettinger [00:07]

2. Builder Strategies and Price Dynamics

• Expert Insight: Diana Olek notes that home builders are aggressively competing for buyers, drawing them in with financial perks.
• Notable Surprise: Despite sales surging, new home prices also went up—a trend not typically expected during periods when builders offer discounts.
• Figures:
  • Median price of a new home sold: $413,500 (up 4.7% from July).
• Quote:

  “The price of a new home sold was $413,500. This is 4.7% above July. It is a real surprise to see prices go up as well as sales go up.” – Diana Olek [00:33]

3. Existing Home Market: The Supply Squeeze

• Shifting Narrative: Supply, not demand, is the new headline. Inventory is tightening as would-be sellers take homes off the market, often after not receiving desired offers.
• Stats:
  • 4.6 months’ supply – considered "lean" for the market.
  • Median price of an existing home: $422,600, up 2% year over year.
  • Marking the 26th consecutive month of annual price gains for existing homes.
• Quote:

  “Supply is the new story. It is suddenly dropping as sellers come off the market. It is now a 4.6 month supply of homes for sale. That's considered lean though, and that's keeping prices in the positive.” – Diana Olek [00:47]

4. Regional Price Divergences

• Local Trends: While national numbers suggest strength, pockets of the market are weakening, with prices declining in 105 U.S. markets.
• Regional Weakness: Some major cities and states, including Arizona, Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Louisiana, are seeing price drops.
• Cities with Falling Prices: Tampa, Austin, Orlando, Dallas, Phoenix.
• Quote:

  “Home prices are local and Resi Club data show that home prices are falling in 105 markets across the US... Cities like Tampa, Austin, Orlando, Dallas and Phoenix.” – Jessica Ettinger [01:14]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jessica Ettinger on new construction demand:

  “Home buyers out shopping over the summer could choose an existing home or new construction—and they went for new construction in August.” [00:05]

• Diana Olek on market supply:

  “Supply is suddenly dropping as sellers come off the market... that's keeping prices in the positive.” [00:48]

• Jessica Ettinger summarizing the hyper-local market picture:

  “Some owners who listed their homes for sale and didn't get the price offers they wanted, pulled them off the market... Home prices are local.” [01:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00-00:22: Jessica Ettinger introduces main data for August home sales, emphasizes rise in new construction sales.
• 00:22-00:41: Diana Olek explains builders’ pricing strategies, surprise increase in both sales and prices.
• 00:41-00:54: Discussion turns to existing home market, with supply challenges keeping national prices high.
• 00:54-01:09: Exploration of why sellers are pulling listings, and the importance of local trends.
• 01:09-01:37: Focus on markets with falling prices, specific states and cities called out.

Summary

This "Your Money Minute" snap update spotlights how buyer incentives from home builders led to a rare combination of increased sales and rising prices for new homes in August 2025, while the existing home market tightened as sellers left the market and regional differences grew more pronounced. For more granular details and market-specific stories, listeners are directed to CNBC.com.