Business

Here’s where home prices fell the most in April: Redfin report

by Adam Barnes - 05/22/23 2:57 PM ET

FILE – A Redfin “for sale” sign stands in front of a house on Oct. 28, 2020, in Seattle. The National Fair Housing Alliance on Friday, April 29, 2022, announced a settlement agreement to resolve a lawsuit against Redfin that will expand housing opportunities for consumers in communities of color in major cities. Under the agreement, Seattle-based Redfin will change its minimum housing price policy, alter other practices, and pay $4 million. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Nationwide home prices saw their steepest annual decline in more than a decade last month —falling by nearly $18,000, according to a report released Monday.

The report from real estate brokerage Redfin found the largest drops in prices were in expensive California markets and in pandemic-era boomtowns, such as Boise, Idaho, and Austin, Texas.

Median sale prices in both cities, where remote workers once flocked for lower prices and more space, fell by $80,000.

Homes in Oakland, Calif., experienced the largest percentage dip in home prices, falling by 16.1 percent — down $174,500 from a year ago.

Overall, median prices declined in 45 out of more than 90 metros analyzed by Redfin.

Prices are dropping largely due to fluctuating mortgage rates that are still well above 6 percent after reaching historic lows during the pandemic.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.39 percent last week after standing at 5.25 percent at the same time last year.

“Elevated mortgage rates are preventing would-be buyers from buying and would-be sellers from selling. And because sellers aren’t selling, the buyers who are out there have very limited options,” Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said in a statement.

“Home prices are faltering due to sluggish homebuyer demand, but the shortage of homes for sale is preventing them from falling as much as they did in the Great Recession,” she continued.

Fairweather added that prices are rising in some places because the pool of buyers and available inventory are limited.

Close to one-third of homes that sold in April were purchased above the final list price.

Meanwhile, new listings dropped 26.1 percent year over year on a seasonally adjusted basis in April alongside falling home sales.

Separate data shows existing home sales — completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — declined by 3.4 percent from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.28 million units.

Year-over-year sales fell by 23.2 percent, data from The National Association of Realtors showed. Total housing inventory increased by 7.2 percent month-on-month to 1.04 million units.