--- title: "US Existing Home Sales Tick Higher In April Despite Affordability Crunch: Here's Where Buyers Are Still Active" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286074396.md" description: "Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose 0.2% in April to an annual rate of 4.02 million units, despite ongoing affordability challenges. The median home price increased 0.9% year-over-year to $417,700, marking a record high for April. Total housing inventory grew by 5.8% to 1.47 million units. Regional sales varied, with the Midwest and South seeing increases, while the West experienced a decline. First-time buyers made up 33% of transactions, and all-cash sales accounted for 25%. Affordability pressures continue to impact buyer activity across the market." datetime: "2026-05-12T09:42:00.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286074396.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286074396.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286074396.md) --- # US Existing Home Sales Tick Higher In April Despite Affordability Crunch: Here's Where Buyers Are Still Active Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose slightly in April as housing inventory improved, though affordability pressures continued limiting broader market activity. Existing-home sales increased 0.2% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million units in April, according to data released on Monday by the **National Association of Realtors**. Sales were unchanged compared to the same month last year. The median existing-home sales price rose 0.9% year-over-year to $417,700, marking the 34th consecutive month of annual price increases and the highest median home price ever recorded for April. Total housing inventory climbed 5.8% from March to 1.47 million units. Unsold inventory represented a 4.4-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.2 months in March. **Read Also: Trump's Gas Tax Cut Could Backfire: Peter Schiff Warns Could 'Weaken The Dollar,' Sending Oil Prices Higher** ## Affordability Pressures Persist NAR Chief Economist **Lawrence Yun** said lower mortgage rates and stronger income growth modestly supported affordability during the month. "Mortgage rates are lower from a year ago, and average income growth is outpacing home price gains," Yun said. Still, affordability remains a key challenge across the housing market. Earlier this month, **Zillow Group Inc. ( ZG )** CEO **Jeremy Wacksman** said affordability pressures and macroeconomic uncertainty continued keeping buyers on the sidelines as transaction growth remained modest. ## Regional Trends Sales activity varied across regions in April. Sales rose 2.2% in the Midwest and 0.5% in the South, remained unchanged in the Northeast and declined 2.6% in the West. The South was the only region to post year-over-year sales growth. Homes remained on the market for a median of 32 days in April, compared with 29 days a year earlier. First-time buyers accounted for 33% of transactions, while all-cash sales represented 25% of purchases. Recent Redfin data also showed buyers increasingly shifting toward lower-cost Midwest suburbs and smaller Florida markets as affordability pressures reshape housing demand across major U.S. cities. _**Disclaimer:** This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors._ _Image via Shutterstock_ **Read Also: Bernie Sanders Mocks Trump Drug Price Claim, Says President 'Who Never Lies, Said He Cut Drug Prices By 400-600%'** ### Related Stocks - [REET.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/REET.US.md) - [GQRE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GQRE.US.md) - [XLRE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XLRE.US.md) - [159768.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/159768.CN.md) - [WTRE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/WTRE.US.md) - [159707.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/159707.CN.md) - [IYR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IYR.US.md) - [159940.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/159940.CN.md) - [VNQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VNQ.US.md) - [PSR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/PSR.US.md) - [REZ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/REZ.US.md) - [515060.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/515060.CN.md) - [RWO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RWO.US.md) - [SCHH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SCHH.US.md) - [RWR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RWR.US.md) - [512200.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/512200.CN.md) - [ZG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ZG.US.md) - [Z.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/Z.US.md) - [RDFN.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RDFN.US.md) - [SSTK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SSTK.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [US REITS AvalonBay, Equity Residential close to merger, Bloomberg News reports](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287129255.md) - [Equity Residential, AvalonBay to merge in mega real estate deal](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287198873.md) - [New Core Equity ETF Drops As Low-Cost Active Funds Become Wall Street's New Obsession](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287253853.md) - [Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. $MAA Shares Sold by Aew Capital Management L P](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287176589.md) - [New York Life Investment Management LLC Boosts Holdings in Healthpeak Properties, Inc. $DOC](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286882864.md)