The 2026 spring homebuying season was supposed to mark the end of the doldrums for the U.S. housing market. Instead, American homebuyers are still sitting on their hands. Home sales dropped over the first third of the year, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), falling nearly every month so far in 2026 when compared with the same period last year. In January, home sales fell 4.4% versus January 2025. In February, sales fell by 1.4% compared to a year ago. In March, sales were off 1% from the previous year. And in April, volumes were unchanged from April 2025. That’s in sharp contrast to what housing experts had predicted late last year. NAR, the largest trade association of real estate professionals in the United States, predicted that sales would increase by 14% this year.…