NAR -- Existing-Home Sales Rise Again in March

Existing-Home Sales Rise Again in March

WASHINGTON (April 25, 2006) – Sales of existing homes edged up in March following a strong rebound in February, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 0.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 6.92 million units in March from a pace of 6.90 million in February, but were 0.7 percent below a 6.97 million-unit level in March 2005.

In the South, existing-home sales slipped 0.7 percent in March to a level of 2.67 million, but were 1.5 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the South was $181,000, up 6.5 percent from March 2005.

Existing-home sales in the West eased 0.7 percent to an annual pace of 1.43 million in March, and were 12.3 percent below March 2005. The median price in the West was $341,000, up 8.3 percent from a year ago.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

1The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns.

Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample – nearly 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month – and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

2National and regional monthly median existing-home prices have been revised back to 1989. The fixed reporting sample of representative multiple listing services has been updated to reflect geographic changes over time so that the monthly samples for regional price measurements are as accurate as possible. In addition, regional weights have been updated and aligned to the 2000 Census. The changes in price patterns are consistent with previously reported data. Non-media inquiries for historic data should be directed to data@realtors.org.

The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns.

3 Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price is higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.

Existing-home sales for March will be released April 25. The next Pending Home Sales Index will be on May 2 and the forecast will be revised May 9. Via National Association of Realtors