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Pending home sales up slightly in September: NAR

Housing Wire

Despite the slight gain, pending contracts remain at historically low levels due to the highest mortgage rates in 20 years,” Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist said in a statement. Furthermore, inventory remains tight, which hinders sales but keeps home prices elevated.” Year over year, all four regions saw declining transactions.

Inventory 379
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Existing-home sales have nowhere to go but up in 2024? 

Housing Wire

Elevated mortgage rates and high home prices pushed sales of existing homes down again in October to the lowest monthly pace since August 2010. Homes typically go under contract a month or two before the closing, which means the October data largely reflects purchase decisions made in August and September. from September, with 1.15

Inventory 394
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Pending home sales fell 7.1% in August

Housing Wire

An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001. Pending home sales, like new home sales, are based on contract signings. Existing home sales also fell in August, down 15.3% below the August 2022 level. The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index fell to a reading of 71.8

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Existing home sales continue to decline in 2023

Housing Wire

Before that, you have to go back to October 2010 to find total sales this low.” January sales reflect purchase contracts made in November or December, and there is evidence that in many markets, the housing market has bottomed out and buyers are beginning to return to the market.” Despite this industry analysts remain optimistic.

Inventory 360
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CoreLogic projects low mortgage rates and high prices into 2023

Housing Wire

over the next three years – nearly a percentage point lower than the average of the 2010-2019 decade. However, Nothaft expects that mortgages originated today, with a contract rate of 3% or lower, are more likely to have a relatively long life and lenders will not see them coming into refinance anytime soon.

Mortgage 506
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The current challenges to increasing the homeownership gap

Housing Wire

The homeownership rate for Black Americans has actually declined between 2010 and 2020 and stands at 43.4%, while the homeownership rate for white Americans is 72.1%. The report used real time listing data to show the limited housing inventory and the repercussions to home buyers. While the homeownership rate in the U.S.

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Opinion: Here’s the latest data on what Realtors are witnessing in the housing market

Housing Wire

As reported in the latest NAR Existing-Home Sales , inventory still remains in tight supply, which means homes are still moving at a fast past despite the recent rise in rates and home prices. Notably, during the timeframe of the First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit, there was significantly more inventory than seen today.

Realtors 388