Cotality released its July 2026 U.S. home price insights report on July 7, 2026. According to the report, the U.S. housing market is building momentum. Following a steady two-year slowdown, home price appreciation accelerated in May, ticking up to an annual pace of 0.8% from April’s 0.6%. This acceleration indicates that beneath a seemingly frozen surface, local demand is aggressively testing the constraints of elevated mortgage rates.
“The U.S. housing market in mid-2026 remains firmly entrenched in a geographic split, shaped fundamentally by an affordability gap and a wealth gap that continues to divide buyers across the nation,” said Cotality Chief Economist Dr. Selma Hepp.
The report found an interesting shift in one of the nation’s housing markets. The West Coast landscape is being propelled by AI investments and newly minted tech wealth. San Francisco’s three-month metric reveals a striking reality: A staggering 7.6% of its 8.9% annual growth occurred in the last 90 days alone.
“What we are witnessing is a profound segmentation of opportunity,” said Hepp. “Buyers who are well-insulated from mortgage rate volatility, bolstered by substantial accumulated home equity and robust wealth gains, are continuing to look at high-value regions like San Francisco, driving a strong near-9% annual rebound in a market that remains fundamentally healthy and structurally undervalued relative to long-term income baselines.”
