Nationwide, sales fell 8.5% annually and rose 5.8% monthly, as rising interest rates and home prices weighed on homebuyers’ purchasing power, RE/MAX said.

New-home completions rose during the month, however, with the increased inventory representing a rare bright spot in an otherwise gloomy government report. 

Nationally, the index posted its highest annual increase ever.

With affordability reduced, some buyers are pulling back from the market forcing sellers to adjust their price expectations.

Nevertheless, home prices are expected to continue rising through the end of the year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. 

The median asking rent in Boston broke $3,000 in April.

Boston scored well in several categories. It was No. 3 for public transportation, No. 5 for electric vehicles and No. 9 for emissions.

The rate of new single-family home sales fell 16.6% from March’s revised number, while the median sales price jumped to $450,600 from March’s revised median house price of $435,000. 

The inventory of unsold homes increased in April, while the median existing-home sales price rose, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

“Builders are responding to higher mortgage rates and are chasing rising rents, with fewer homebuyers and more renters being forced to renew their leases.” — NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun 

The release of the monthly survey from the National Association of Home Builders comes as the Biden Administration unveiled a housing-supply action plan that aims to boost the supply of affordable apartments and new homes. 

Despite the drop in demand, homes are selling faster than ever.

The data illustrates the struggle for first-time homebuyers trying to get a foot in the housing door in the country’s largest markets.

Despite a slow start to the spring homebuying season, prospective buyers are showing some resiliency in the face of higher mortgage rates, as seen by two weeks in a row of increasing loan applications. 

Homes are selling at record-breaking speed.

Seventy percent of the 185 metros surveyed by the National Association of REALTORS® saw double-digit price gains in the first quarter, compared to 66% in the preceding period.