ECONOMIC REPORT Stunning 13.8% increase in new home sales Median prices down year-over-year first time since Dec. 2003 By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- New home sales unexpectedly increased by 13.8% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.213 million, the highest level of the year, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. The increase more than reversed the 10.9% decline in sales in February. It was far stronger than the mild increase to 1.10 million annualized that was expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. See Economic Calendar. Combined with the small increase reported in existing home sales on...