Existing home sales retreated 1.9% in April

WASHINGTON — Existing home sales receded in April, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All four major U.S. regions posted month-over-month declines. Year-over-year, sales decreased in the Northeast, Midwest, and South but increased in the West.

Total existing home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops – slid 1.9% from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.14 million in April. Year-over-year, sales fell 1.9% (down from 4.22 million in April 2023).

"Home sales changed little overall, but the upper-end market is experiencing a sizable gain due to more supply coming onto the market," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

Total housing inventory registered at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from March and 16.3% from one year ago (1.04 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 3.2 months in March and 3.0 months in April 2023.

The median existing home price for all housing types in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% from the previous year ($385,800). All four U.S. regions registered price gains.

"Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners," Yun added. "However, the pace of price increases should taper off since more housing inventory is becoming available."

Mortgage rates
According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.02% as of May 16. That's 7.09% down from the previous week but up from 6.39% one year ago.

Regional breakdown
Existing home sales in the Northeast waned 4% from March to an annual rate of 480,000 in April, a decline of 4% from April 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% from the previous year.

In the Midwest, existing home sales slipped 1% from one month ago to an annual rate of 1 million in April, down 1% from one year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $303,600, up 6% from April 2023.

Existing home sales in the South descended 1.6% from March to an annual rate of 1.9 million in April, down 3.1% from the prior year. The median price in the South was $366,200, up 3.7% from last year.

In the West, existing home sales retracted 2.6% from a month ago to an annual rate of 760,000 in April, an increase of 1.3% from one year before. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.

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Dakota Smith | Editorial Intern

Dakota Smith is an undergraduate student at New Jersey City University studying English and Creative Writing. He is a writer at heart, and a cook by trade. His career goal is to become an author. At Woodworking Network, Dakota is an editorial intern, ready to dive into the world of woods and words.