the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Monday.
The January rate was originally reported as a 4.82 million pace.
The February rate represents a 4.7% increase from the same month a year ago, and was near the median 4.90 million unit pace predicted by economists polled by Thompson Reuters.
NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun noted some stagnation in the market recently. "Insufficient supply appears to be hampering prospective buyers in several areas of the country and is hiking prices to near unsuitable levels," he said. "Stronger price growth is a boon for homeowners looking to build additional equity, but it continues to be an obstacle for current buyers looking to close before rates rise."
Inclement weather in the Northeast and Midwest "likely" reduced sales levels, he said.
Sales in February were mixed in the four regions. They fell 6.5% in the Northeast, and were unchanged in the Midwest, but rose 1.9% in the South, and gained 5.7% in the West.
The median sales price was $202,600 in February, a 7.5% increase from a year ago.
Inventory levels grew 1.6% from the previous month to 1.89 million existing homes, representing a 4.6-month supply at the current pace. Inventory was off 0.5% from the February 2014 level.
