Existing-Home Sales Rose 3.1% in January

Existing-home sales expanded 3.1% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million. Sales declined 1.7% from the prior year.
The median existing-home sales price climbed 5.1% from January 2023 to $379,100 – the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year price gains.
The inventory of unsold existing homes increased 2.0% from one month ago to 1.01 million at the end of January, or the equivalent of 3.0 months' supply at the current monthly sales pace.

Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – elevated 3.1% from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million in January. Year-over-year, sales slipped 1.7% (down from 4.07 million in January 2023).

"While home sales remain sizably lower than a couple of years ago, January's monthly gain is the start of more supply and demand," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "Listings were modestly higher, and home buyers are taking advantage of lower mortgage rates compared to late last year."

Total housing inventory registered at the end of January was 1.01 million units, up 2.0% from December and 3.1% from one year ago (980,000). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.0-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 3.1 months in December but up from 2.9 months in January 2023.

The median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $379,100, an increase of 5.1% from one year ago ($360,800). All four U.S. regions posted price increases.

"The median home price reached an all-time high for the month of January," Yun added. "Multiple offers are common on mid-priced homes, and many homes were still sold within a month. The elevated share of cash deals – 32% – indicated a market full of multiple offers and propelled by record-high housing wealth."

According to the monthly REALTORS Confidence Index, properties typically remained on the market for 36 days in January, up from 29 days in December and 33 days in January 2023.

First-time buyers were responsible for 28% of sales in January, down from 29% in December and 31% in January 2023. NAR's 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers – released in November 20234 – found that the annual share of first-time buyers was 32%.

All-cash sales accounted for 32% of transactions in January, up from 29% in both December and one year ago.

Individual investors or second-home buyers, who make up many cash sales, purchased 17% of homes in January, up from 16% in December and January 2023.

Distressed sales – foreclosures and short sales – represented 2% of sales in January, virtually unchanged from last month and the previous year.

Mortgage Rates
According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage(link is external) averaged 6.77% as of February 15. That's up from 6.64% the previous week and 6.32% one year ago.

Single-family and Condo/Co-op Sales
Single-family home sales moved higher to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.6 million in January, up 3.4% from 3.48 million in December but down 1.4% from the prior year. The median existing single-family home price was $383,500 in January, up 5.0% from January 2023.

At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 400,000 units in January, existing condominium and co-op sales were unchanged from last month and down 4.8% from one year ago (420,000 units). The median existing condo price was $339,400 in January, up 5.7% from the previous year ($321,100).

Regional Breakdown
At 480,000 units, existing-home sales in the Northeast were unchanged from December but down 5.9% from January 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $434,300, up 10.1% from the prior year.

In the Midwest, existing-home sales increased 2.2% from one month ago to an annual rate of 950,000 in January, down 3.1% from last year. The median price in the Midwest was $271,700, up 7.6% from January 2023.

Existing-home sales in the South rose 4.0% from December to an annual rate of 1.84 million in January, a decline of 1.6% from the previous year. The median price in the South was $345,100, up 4.1% from one year ago.

In the West, existing-home sales elevated 4.3% from a month ago to an annual rate of 730,000 in January and grew 2.8% from one year earlier. The median price in the West was $572,100, up 6.3% from January 2023.