U.S. home sales jumped to an eight-month high in September, but rising prices driven by a persistent shortage of supply are pushing first-time buyers out of the housing market.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that existing home sales rose 7%—the largest increase in a year—to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.29 million units last month, the highest level since January.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected sales to rise to an annualized rate of 6.09 million units. Sales rose in all four regions.

Resale home sales, which account for the bulk of U.S. home sales, fell 2.3% year-over-year.

The median price of existing homes rose 13.3% from a year earlier to $352,800 in September, marking the smallest increase this year.