Rising mortgage rates push US existing home sales to nine-month low
PW
Phoenix Weston
30-year mortgage rate · Apr 14, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Existing home sales in the United States declined 3.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units. This is the lowest level of sales activity since mid-2025, marking a nine-month low.
Borrowing costs for homebuyers have increased as mortgage rates track movements in US Treasury yields. The national average on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 6.40%, up from 5.98% prior to the escalation of geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Iran.
Inflation concerns and the war in Iran, which pushed up energy prices, contributed to the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate's climb. In March, consumer prices rose 3.3% year over year, a jump from February's 2.4% reading.
Until there is a clearer picture of how current turmoil will play out in the economy, the Federal Reserve has kept the federal-funds rate steady for the second time in 2026.
Existing home sales fell below market expectations and activity weakened across all four major US regions. Despite a modest 2.3% annual rise in inventory to 1.36 million units, the current pace of sales represents approximately 4.1 months of supply, which remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.