Hopeful Signs in the Housing Market
Housing Market Improvement
The National Association of Realtors released a report today on adjusted pending home sales. Pending home sales are when people enter into contracts to purchase homes. The good news is that this figure increased 3.3% from the prior month, unfortunately, the index itself was down 2.1% from the same period a year ago.
On a regional basis, the pending home sales increased in the South and in the West, though the index for both regions remains below its levels seen in July 2013. Read more 
Home Sales Fall
Home Sales Fall in December
The National Association of Realtors just reported that pending home sales nationally fell to the lowest point since October 2011.
Although the Association tried to attribute the December decline to nasty weather conditions across the country, the fact remains that this was the seventh straight monthly decline for the index! Read more
New Home Sales Jump
New Home Sales Increase Best in 30 Years!
The Commerce Department reported today that sales in October jumped 25.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 444,000 units. Sales of new U.S. single-family homes had their biggest increase in nearly 33-1/2 years. Read more
Home Sales Hit 6 1/2 Year High
Home Sales
This morning the National Association of Realtors reported that sales of previously-occupied homes rose 1.7 percent last month, hitting a 6 1/2 year high! Keep in mind that these August home sales reflect contracts signed in June and July, when mortgage rates were almost a full percentage point less than today. Read more
Mortgage Rate Increases Kill New Home Sales
New Home Sales
Just out – The Commerce Department reported U.S. sales of newly built home dropped 13.4 percent. That’s the lowest pace in nine months!
Up to this point, the new home sales rose 7 percent in the 12 months ending in July. Read more
Home Sales for March Improve
March pending home sales improve
The National Association of Realtors just announced that pending home sales increased in March 2013 to the highest rate since April 2010! Home purchase contracts signings rose in the South, West and Midwest, and were unchanged in the Northeast.
Home purchase signed contracts were 7 percent higher than the March , 2012 figures. Read more
Home Prices Up 10.2%
Home Prices Up
CoreLogic, a real estate data provider just reported that home prices in February increased by 10.2% over the year ago period. The February home price increases mark 12 months of annual price improvement.
The gains in home prices were very broadly based with 47 of 50 states showing home price improvement. Read more
US Home Sales Increase
US Home Sales
The National Association of Realtors said today that sales rose a tiny .4% in January compared with December 2012, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million. That was the second-highest sales pace since November 2009.
In December, sales declined to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.9 million from 4.96 million in November, according to revised figures released today. The December drop was linked, in part, to the tight supply of homes. Read more
Real Estate Prices – Best Gains in Six Years
Real Estate Prices
The just released S&P/Case Shiller composite index of real estate prices in 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.6 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis.
This real estate price increase was the 10th month in a row that prices have gained, the longest string of gains since before 2006. Read more
Pending Home Sales Sept. 2012
Pending Home Sales
The National Association of Realtors forward-looking pending home sales index rose slightly in September, continuing a steady upward climb that’s lasted several months.
Pending sales were just up 0.3% to 99.5 from 99.2 in August. The index had hit a two-year high of 101.9 in July before slipping 2.6% the next month.
In the West, pending sales increased 4.3% to 106.9. Read more