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U.S.Existing Home Sales Show Modest Increase Amidst Persistent Challenges
Table of Contents
November 2025 data reveals a slight uptick in existing home sales, but affordability adn inventory remain notable hurdles for potential buyers.
Key Takeaways
Existing home sales in the United States edged up 0.5% in November 2025 compared to October, but remain 1% lower year-over-year. The annualized sales rate reached 4.13 million units. Thes figures reflect ongoing challenges in the housing market stemming from high prices, elevated mortgage rates, and limited inventory.
Sales Figures and Market Trends
The National association of Realtors (NAR) reported that existing-home sales totaled 4.13 million seasonally adjusted annually in November 2025. This represents a 0.5% increase from October’s sales figure of 4.11 million. Tho, sales are down 1% from November 2024, when 4.17 million homes were sold.NAR data shows this is the third consecutive month of declines on a year-over-year basis.
The median existing-home price in November was $387,500, up 3.1% from November 2024. This continued price appreciation further exacerbates affordability concerns for many potential buyers.
| Month | Seasonally Adjusted Annual Sales (in millions) | Year-over-Year change (%) | median Existing-Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | 4.11 | -0.7% | $385,000 |
| November 2025 | 4.13 | -1.0% | $387,500 |
| November 2024 | 4.17 | N/A | $376,000 |
Impact of Mortgage Rates and Inventory
High mortgage rates continue to be a significant drag on housing demand. As of December 17, 2025, CNBC reported that mortgage rates have remained elevated, despite a recent Federal Reserve rate cut. This makes homeownership less affordable for many prospective buyers.
Inventory levels also remain constrained. The NAR reported that total housing inventory at the end of november was 1.13 million units, up 1.7% from October, but still down 18.8% from one
