Sales of new US homes soared in October in the biggest monthly increase in 33 years, pointing to continued recovery in the housing market, according to official data.
New-home sales rose to an annual rate of 444,000 last month, up 25.4 per cent from September, when sales sagged to rate of 354,000, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday.
It was the largest month-over-month increase since May 1980, and came in well above analysts' average estimate of 420,000.
The October sales pace was in line with the average of 444,000 in the first six months of the year, before sales slumped in the July-September period.
"This was not a strengthening in the overall housing market but the end of a late-summertime lull," Briefing.com said in a research note.
September's figures had been delayed due to the partial US government shutdown in the first half of October over a budget impasse.
The median sales price of new houses fell to $US245,800 ($A269,700) in October from $US257,400 in September.
Inventory tightened in October, with the supply of new houses on the market falling to 183,000 at the end of the month. That represented a supply of 4.9 months at the current sales rate, compared to the 7.2-month level in September.
