Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and dropped a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday. Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.

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Persons: Peter Boockvar, Robert Dietz, NAHB's Organizations: Spring Barbera Homes, Builders, Toll Brothers, Bleakley Financial, CNBC, National Association of Home Builders, Wells Fargo . Locations: Loudonville , New York, U.S, Horton, Wells Fargo