The U.S. real estate market remains hot ahead of the spring selling season, with existing home sales up 6.7% as of last measure, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Experts attribute the growth in sales to an uptick in mortgage interest rates, as buyers rushed to lock down their home purchases before rates move higher. Mortgage rates have increased almost a full percentage point since December, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage briefly exceeding 4% in February, the highest level since May 2019. 
• Single Family Closed Sales were down 17.5 percent to 4,533.
• Townhouse-Condo Closed Sales were down 14.2 percent to 1,526.
• Adult Communities Closed Sales were down 8.8 percent to 454.
• Single Family Median Sales Price increased 8.9 percent to $430,000.
• Townhouse-Condo Median Sales Price increased 6.1 percent to $310,000.
• Adult Communities Median Sales Price increased 14.6 percent to $275,000.
Inventory was at an all-time low of 860,000 as February began, down 17% from a year ago and equivalent to 1.6 months supply. According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of REALTORS®, much of the current housing supply is concentrated at the upper end of the market, where inventory is increasing, while homes priced at the lower end of the market are quickly disappearing, leaving many first-time buyers behind. The shortage of homes is boosting demand even further, and with bidding wars common in many markets, it’s no surprise sales prices continue to soar.