US new home sales fell 5.9% in April after big March gain

A carpenter aligns a beam for a wall frame at a new house site in Madison County, Miss., Tuesday, March 16, 2021. U.S. home construction fell by a bigger-than-expected amount in April but the drop came after housing had risen to the highest level in 15 years. The Commerce Department said Tuesday, May 18, that construction dropped 9.5% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.57 million units. % in April to an annual rate of 1.76 million units, a good sign that the April dip in construction will be temporary. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)