The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales of existing homes rose 2 percent last month, the fastest rate since February 2007. Sales have jumped 9.6 percent over the past 12 months, while the number of listings has declined 4.7 percent.
However, despite the higher sales, more Americans are choosing to rent. The share of the U.S. population who owns homes so far this year has fallen to 63.4 percent, a 48-year low, according to the Census Bureau.