Group 1 - The confidence of U.S. home builders unexpectedly declined in June to the lowest level in two and a half years, with the housing market index dropping from 34 in May to 32, the lowest since December 2022 [1] - All three indicators measured in the survey, including current sales conditions, future sales expectations, and buyer traffic, showed a decline, with only the Northeast region experiencing a slight increase [1] - NAHB's chief economist Robert Dietz indicated that high inventory levels and potential buyers waiting for more affordable home prices are suppressing price growth and causing declines in second-hand home prices in more markets [1] Group 2 - NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes noted that high mortgage rates, tariffs from the Trump administration, and overall economic uncertainty are causing more buyers to adopt a wait-and-see approach [2] - In June, 37% of builders reported lowering home prices, the highest percentage since tracking began in 2022, up from 34% in May and 29% in April [2] - The average price reduction remained at 5%, while the proportion of builders using various sales incentives increased from 61% in May to 62% [2]