Multifamily construction, meanwhile, rose on a monthly basis. 

The median price of a new home sold during the month was also up, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Multifamily starts, meanwhile, declined, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said.    

The 716,000 per-year rate of new-home sales topped the consensus estimate of 700,000. 

July’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of 739,000 represented a 10.6% jump from June’s upwardly revised rate of 668,000. 

New-home construction jumped 5.7% month over month after a soft March, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Declining interest rates spurred the increase. 

Specifically, single-family homes were built at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 963,000, up 3.2% from 933,000 in August and up 8.6% from 887,000 a year earlier, according to government figures. 

Single-family home permits and completions, meanwhile, also rose, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Low inventory and high demand are buoying builder sentiment in the face of several headwinds. 

Demand for newly built homes has remained strong as high interest rates keep many would-be sellers of existing homes off the market. 

The larger-than-expected increase comes as homebuilder sentiment rose for the sixth month in a row. 

A shortage of existing inventory continues to drive buyers to new construction. 

Single-family permits also posted a gain, indicating even more new homes are headed to today’s supply-constrained housing market. 

Homebuilder optimism was buoyed by continued shortages of new housing inventory, the National Association of Home Builders reported. 

U.S. government data shows builders increased the pace of single-family home construction while slowing the pace of multifamily starts.