U.S. home resales suffer under quarantine

WASHINGTON — Sales of existing U.S. homes fell by 8.5 percent in March, the National Association of Realtors reported, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.27 million units. The decline was the largest since November 2015. As measures to combat the novel coronavirus continue, the association expects a steeper decline in April. Prior to the implementation of those measures, the housing market was moving toward recovery after a soft period in 2018 and the first half of 2019.