U.S. Sales of Existing Homes Fall as Inventory Woes Continue

(Bloomberg) -- Sales of U.S. previously owned homes fell in April to a three-month low as lean inventory continued to stand in the way of further progress while driving up prices, National Association of Realtors data showed Thursday.

Key Takeaways

A limited number of properties on the market helped contribute to the year-over-year gain in prices and dissuaded potential buyers. The lack of supply has been persistent even as job gains and a general improvement in the economy keeps demand elevated.

The market now has to contend with rising interest rates. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage stands at 4.61 percent, the highest in seven years, according to Freddie Mac data.

In a sign of resilient demand, properties typically stayed on the market for 26 days in April, down from 29 days a year ago. Fifty-seven percent of homes sold were on the market for less than a month.

Existing-home sales account for 90 percent of the market and are calculated when a contract closes. New-home sales, considered a timelier indicator though their share is only about 10 percent, are tabulated when contracts get signed.

Official’s View

“We are seeing no breakout in home sales,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said at a press briefing accompanying the report. “We are stuck in this narrow range at a time when the economy is doing well."

“However, inventory shortages are even worse than in recent years, and home prices keep climbing above what many home shoppers can afford,” Yun said in a statement.

Other Details

• Purchases fell in three of four regions, including a 2.9 percent decline in the South and a 3.3 percent drop in the West
• At the current pace, it would take 4.0 months to sell the homes on the market, compared to 3.5 months in March; Realtors group considers less than a five months’ supply as consistent with a tight market
• Single-family home sales decreased 3 percent last month to an annual rate of 4.84 million
• Purchases of condominium and co-op units rose 1.6 percent to a 620,000 pace
• First-time buyers made up 33 percent of all sales in April, compared with 34 percent a year ago

--With assistance from Jordan Yadoo.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Condon in Washington at ccondon4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Scott Lanman at slanman@bloomberg.net, Vince Golle

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