New home sales were expected to retrace some of February’s gains but in a reversal of yesterday’s dismal drop in existing home sales, new home sales in March soared 4.5% higher MoM (and February was revised stronger from +4.9% MoM to +5.9% MoM).

This is the 3rd straight month of rising new home sales

The 692k SAAR is the highest since Nov 2017 – near the post-crisis highs.

The reason – among others – is simple – median new home prices plunged to their lowest since Feb 2017 (a 9.7% from a year earlier to a two-year low of $302,700)….

A mixed picture across regions with Northeast March new home sales plunging to 28K, down 22.2% from February, but Midwest surged from 74K to 87K, up 17.6%.

The supply of homes at the current sales rate decreased to six months from 6.3 months in February. The number of new homes for sale in the period was little changed at 344,000.

New-home purchases account for about 10 percent of the market and are calculated when contracts are signed. They are considered a timelier barometer than purchases of previously-owned homes, which are calculated when contracts close.

Let’s just hope the recent resurgence in mortgage rates doesn’t last…

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-23/new-home-sales-soar-16-month-highs-price-plunges