Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Mar 23 2006

U.S. Existing Home Sales Up

Summary

The National Association of Realtors reported that total existing home sales rose 5.2% m/m to 6.910M last month following a 2.7% January decline that was about half the drop initially estimated. Consensus expectations had been for [...]


The National Association of Realtors reported that total existing home sales rose 5.2% m/m to 6.910M last month following a 2.7% January decline that was about half the drop initially estimated. Consensus expectations had been for sales last month of 6.50M. Sales of single-family homes rose 4.7% after a 1.2% January decline that was revised from -6.8% reported initially. The data cover sales closed in the latest and previous months, and contrast to the new home sales data which count sales at the signing of a contract. February single family home sales rose sharply in the Northeast (+2.4% y/y). Sales in the Midwest also were strong (+2.1% y/y) and sales in the West rose for the first month in six (-10.9% y/y). Sales in the South fell m/m but rose y/y by 4.2%. The median price of an existing single-family home fell 0.5%. At $208,500 the median price is 5.1% below the August peak. Prices are not seasonally adjusted. The latest release from the National Association of Realtors is available here.

The Road to Price Stability from the Federal Reserve Board can be found here.

Existing Home Sales (000, AR) Feb Jan Y/Y 2005 2004 2003
Total Home Sales  6,910 6,570 -0.3% 7,064 6,722 6,176
  Single Family Home Sales 6,060 5,790 -0.2% 6,170 5,912 5,443
Single Family Median Home Price ($,000) $208.5 $209.6 11.6% $206.3 $182.8 $169.1
  • Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio.   Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984.   He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C.   In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists.   Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.

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