Homebuilder sentiment on the rise

Published in the June 8, 2026 newspaper.

New data from the National Association of Home Builders shows some optimism in the housing market. And right about now is supposed to be peak homebuying season — an important time for agents, lenders, and the many people whose industries depend on people fixing up and furnishing new pads.

A lot of new data expected early this month will tell us how the housing market is actually doing, including pending home sales, building starts for new construction, and the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for May.

Builders’ expectations — which include “current sales conditions,” “sales expectations,” and “potential buyer traffic” — ticked up a few points in May after dropping in April, according to
the index.

In Miami, Joanna Jimenez of The Opes Group at Compass said most of the transactions her team works on are resales of existing homes. She’s noticed that two different markets are emerging.

“In neighborhoods where buyers are heavily reliant on financing, we are seeing they are taking longer to make decisions, they’re touring more properties, they’re very price-sensitive, so a lot of those buyers are asking for credits to help offset, like the higher borrowing costs,” Jimenez said.

In the other market, where a significant number of the transactions are in cash, buyers are moving much faster.

She said it’s good to be aware of what’s happening across the country, but she’s focused on the local picture: “What are the cash sales shared in your ZIP code? How many months of inventory do we have? What is the median sales price? Did it go up? Is it going down?”

Jimenez said it’s these hyperlocal numbers that help the most when navigating the market with her buyers and sellers.