TAMPA - Sales of new single-family homes nationwide rose 2.3 percent to 454,000 from March to April, a government report Thursday indicated, bolstering positive trends in a Florida Realtors study that showed more sales of existing homes and rising prices last month.
Florida sellers got more than 93 percent of their original asking price in April as existing single-family home sales rose 17.4 percent, compared with year-ago figures, to 20,662.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan statistical area home sales increased 24.5 percent in year-over-year figures to 3,401, and the median price rose 13.9 percent to $143,000.
Townhouse and condominium sales in April rose 16.1 percent to 1,363 units compared with a year ago, with a 16.4 percent increase in median price to $96,000.
"Buyer demand is rising, but the inventory of homes continues to be tight in many areas across Florida,†Dean Asher, broker-owner with Dean Asher & Associates Inc. in Orlando, said in a release.
"April is the 16th month in a row that we've seen the statewide median sales prices increase year-over-year for both single-family homes and for townhouse-condo properties.â€
The Commerce Department's report on new home sales did not report state data, but showed that nationwide, the median price of new homes sold in April was $271,600, and the average sales price was $330,800.
The seasonally adjusted supply of new houses for sale at the end of April was 156,000, a supply of 4.1 months.
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