Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes rose less than forecast in November, indicating higher borrowing costs are holding back the recovery in residential real estate.

A gauge of pending home sales increased 0.2 percent, the first gain in six months, after a 1.2 percent drop in October that was larger than initially reported, the National Association of Realtors said Monday in Washington. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 1 percent advance.