The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), which measures U.S. homebuilder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes, slipped to 25 in August 2026 from 34 in July, defying expectations for a more modest decline to 33. The index component tracking current sales conditions edged up two points to 39, while sales expectations for the next six months held steady at 43. Even so, 35% of builders reported cutting prices in August, down two percentage points from the prior month. For those who reduced prices, the average cut was 6%.