Home sales skid again - but the prices don't

New home sales dropped to a record low rate in April, but prices kept going up - with the average price tag now $85,700 - government figures show.

The Commerce Department reported that sales of new houses dropped 15.3 percent in April but at the same time the cost of an average new home rose $1, 000 from March, to the second-highest figure on record.

The numbers suggest the ailing housing industry is still dragging the economy deeper into recession.