Sales of previously owned homes in April were essentially flat compared with March, rising just 0.2% to 4.02 million units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. Housing analysts were expecting a gain of more than 3%. April sales were unchanged year over year. This count is based on closings, so contracts likely signed in late February and March. The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage ended March in the high 5% range, according to Mortgage News Daily, and then shot up sharply, due to the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. "Despite mixed macroeconomic signals—including a record-high stock market and historically low consumer confidence—home sales were modestly boosted by the continued improvement in housing affordability," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, in a release.…