Global| Jan 30 2017U.S. Pending Home Sales Rebound
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending home sales increased 1.6% m/m (0.3% y/y) in December after an unrevised 2.5% November decline. These sales are reported as an index with 2001=100. During all of last [...]
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending home sales increased 1.6% m/m (0.3% y/y) in December after an unrevised 2.5% November decline. These sales are reported as an index with 2001=100. During all of last year, sales improved 0.9%. The December reading of 109.0 was 5.2% below the April peak, but 41.4% above the June 2010 low.
Pending sales were mixed across the country. Sales declined 1.6% m/m (-1.2% y/y) in the Northeast, and fell 0.8% m/m (-3.4% y/y) in the Midwest. Sales improved 2.4% m/m (0.5% y/y) in the South, and increased 5.0% m/m (5.0% y/y) in the West.
The pending home sales index is constructed to be analogous to the new home sales data from the Census Bureau. It measures home sales when the sales contract is signed, as are new home sales. In contrast, existing home sales are recorded when the sale is closed. In developing the pending home sales index, the NAR found that the level of monthly sales contract activity parallels the level of closed existing home sales in the following two months. The series dates back to 2001, and the data are available in Haver's PREALTOR database.
| Pending Home Sales (%, SA) | Dec | Nov | Oct | Dec Y/Y | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1.6 | -2.5 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 7.5 | -3.3 |
| Northeast | -1.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | -1.2 | 6.1 | 8.0 | -0.4 |
| Midwest | -0.8 | -2.5 | 1.5 | -3.4 | 0.1 | 6.8 | -5.7 |
| South | 2.4 | -1.3 | -1.3 | 0.5 | -0.1 | 6.5 | -1.4 |
| West | 5.0 | -6.7 | 0.7 | 5.0 | 0.2 | 10.0 | -5.9 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »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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