Tag Archives: National Association of Realtors

October saw existing-home sales decline for the second straight month as low inventory propped up prices, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Wednesday. Total existing-home sales fell 3.2 percent in October, coming out to an adjusted annual rate of 5.12 million. "The erosion in buying power is dampening home sales," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. "Moreover, low inventory is holding back sales while at the same time pushing up home prices in most of the country."

Speaking at the 2013 Realtors Conference & Expo Friday, National Association of Realtors (NAR) chief economist Lawrence Yun predicted steadiness in existing-home sales over the next year as prices continue to ascend. Looking over the past year, Yun said he expects existing-home sales to be up about 10 percent in 2013 to 5.13 million. Sales in 2014 are expected to hold fairly even at about 5.12 million. Reviewing price movements, he said the median existing-home price should end 2013 about 11 percent higher than 2012.

Findings released in the National Association of Realtors├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ó (NAR) annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey demonstrate what industry experts have been saying since the housing market started to pick up: Access to credit is going to have to loosen before mortgage-dependent homebuyers can make a more meaningful contribution to the recovery. According to NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun, conditions are especially restrictive for single and first-time buyers.

The majority of Americans are willing to sacrifice on living space if it means living closer to their most-visited spots, according to findings released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Investors remain a crucial factor in the U.S. housing market. As mortgage rates rise along with home prices, it decreases affordability and edges owner-occupier buyers out of the market.

The National Association of Realtors' (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) for September indicates home sales will stumble in the year's final quarter as buyers struggle with declining home affordability. "This tells us to expect lower home sales for the fourth quarter, with a flat trend going into 2014. Even so, ongoing inventory shortages will continue to lift home prices, though at a slower single-digit growth rate next year," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

Responding again to higher mortgage rates, the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) slipped for the third straight month, dropping 1.6 percent in August to 107.7--the lowest level since April, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which compiles the index, reported Thursday. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said the drop was expected as a consequence of buyers accelerating purchase decisions while mortgage rates were first increasing.

Builders lowered prices and buyers responded in August, pushing new home sales up 7.9 percent to 421,000, reversing almost half of July's 64,000 drop in sales, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Wednesday. The report for August showed a slight shift away from higher-priced homes as houses priced at $500,000 or more accounted for 9 percent of August sales, down from 12 percent in July. Homes priced at $300,000 or less represented 63 percent of all August sales, unchanged from July.

Home prices rose in July by less than 2 percent for the first time since March but still reached their highest level since August 2008, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released Tuesday. All 20 cities included in the survey improved both month-to-month and year-to-year. The two surveys have improved both monthly and yearly for 14 consecutive months.

Existing-home sales rose an unexpected 6.5 percent to an annual sales rate of 5.48 million, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected existing home sales to drop to 5.255 million from July's originally reported July's 5.39 million sales pace which was unchanged in today's report. The increase in sales came as the median price of an existing single family home in August dipped slightly from July, down $300 to $212,100.