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U.S. Existing-Home Sales Drop to Nine-Month Low in March

Rising mortgage costs with scarce listings are squeezing buyers.

FILE - A for sale sign is posted outside a home, Feb. 10, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, file)
A for sale sign is shown for a residential home in Encinitas, California, U.S. July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake//File Photo

Overview

  • Existing-home sales fell 3.6% in March to a 3.98 million annual rate, the weakest pace since June 2025, the National Association of Realtors said.
  • The popular 30-year mortgage averaged 6.37% last week, up from 5.98% before the war with Iran, which makes monthly payments higher for new loans.
  • Active listings edged up to 1.36 million homes, equal to 4.1 months of supply, still far below the pre-pandemic market.
  • The median price rose 1.4% from a year earlier to $408,800, even as sales fell in all four regions and were 1.0% lower than a year ago.
  • NAR cut its 2026 sales growth forecast to 4% on affordability strains and softer job growth, and buyers skewed older and wealthier with first-timers at 32% and all-cash deals at 27%.