WASHINGTON — Home-buying slumped in November, with some Americans priced out of the market by rising prices or constrained by a shortage of sales listings.

A larger-than-forecast decline in new-home purchases in April from the strongest pace in almost a decade indicates a pause in demand in the midst of the busy spring selling season, government data showed May 23.

More confidence among U.S. home builders this month shows the industry remains optimistic that demand will keep growing in the face of rising property values, according to data May 15 from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Purchases of new U.S. homes unexpectedly increased in March to an eight-month high, indicating housing demand remained strong at the start of the spring buying season, Commerce Department data showed April 25.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than forecast in March to the fastest pace in a decade, signaling sustained momentum in the housing market despite higher prices and scarce supply, a report from the National Association of Realtors showed April 21

Confidence among U.S. home builders cooled in April after jumping a month earlier to the highest level since mid-2005, according to data released April 17 from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes jumped in February by the most since July 2010, according to figures released March 30 by the National Association of Realtors in Washington.

Purchases of new homes increased in February to a seven-month high, indicating the effects of the recent rise in borrowing costs on the U.S. residential real estate market have been modest.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes declined in February after rising a month earlier to the highest level in a decade, according to figures released March 22 by the National Association of Realtors in Washington.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders is the strongest since the mid-2000s housing boom as sales prospects improve despite rising mortgage rates, according to data March 15 from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.