NEW YORK (AP) — The feeble US housing market showed more frailty when third-quarter home sales plummeted in 38 states, hitting Nevada, Arizona, Florida and California particularly hard, government data showed yesterday.The once-booming real estate market’s persistent weakness over the past year has reined in expectations for economic growth but hasn’t been severe enough to offset a rising stock market, lower gas prices and improved consumer expectations.

The National Association of Realtors reported yesterday that sales of existing homes fell in 38 states during the summer. Sales retreated to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.27 million units nationwide, down by 12.7 percent from the same period a year ago. Nevada, Arizona, Florida and California led the declines.

Home prices also dropped: The realtors’ survey showed that the midpoint price for an existing home sold during the summer dipped 1.2 percent year over year to $224,900. Some 45 metropolitan areas saw home prices decline.

Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group, said he thinks the housing market still hasn’t reached its low point.