# Housing Prices Shift Amid Procrastination

> Existing homes beat new homes in price as buyers and sellers delay adjusting to rising rates.
- Title: Housing Prices Shift Amid Procrastination · The Real Deal
- Summary: Existing homes beat new homes in price as buyers and sellers delay adjusting to rising rates. Existing home prices rose 1.7% to $435,700 while new home…
- Keywords: existing homes, new homes, housing prices, mortgage rates, procrastination, housing affordability, us housing market, real estate, business, Housing, Prices, Shift
- Source: The Real Deal — https://therealdeal.com/national/2026/10/15/housing-notes-new-home-prices-beat-existing-amid-procrastination
- Author: Jonathan Miller
- Published: 2026-10-15T16:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: existing homes, new homes, housing prices, mortgage rates, procrastination, housing affordability, us housing market, real estate, business
## Existing homes outperform new homes
Existing home prices rose 1.7 percent yearly to $435,700, beating new home prices at $410,700.
## Housing affordability focus on existing stock
Existing homes make up about 90 percent of the housing inventory, so they are key to improving affordability.
## Acclimation procrastination explained
Buyers and sellers delay adjusting to rising rates, waiting for conditions to return to past levels.
## Procrastination period in housing market
The gap between rate shocks and final acceptance takes time, causing sales to remain weak.
## Buyers delay search for 13 months
About 72 percent of prospective buyers delayed their search, averaging 13 months, waiting for lower rates.
## Sellers take 12-18 months to adjust
Sellers take 12 to 18 months to adjust to market changes before feeling they left money on the closing table.
## Builders respond quickly to rate changes
Builders cut prices and buy down mortgage rates to keep homes moving as unsold houses cost money.
## Real gap in pricing is wider than 6 percent
The actual price gap is probably wider than 6 percent because buyers shop by monthly payment.
## Key takeaway

Existing home prices rose 1.7% to $435,700 while new home prices fell 1.3% to $410,700 amid buyer and seller procrastination on rate changes.