Pending Home Sales Up 7.4 Percent, 18.4 Percent in West

Affordable-housing-massThis is good news as the combination of lower prices, low interest rates, and pent up demand may be coming to a head.

Pending homes sales in a report issued by the National Association of Realtors are up 7.4 percent in August compared to July, 2008. The numbers are up 8.8 percent over August, 2007.

While it is not time to crack open the champagne bottles, it is a sign that consumer demand and pricing are finding an equilibrium. Now we need to hope that the other external forces in the economy do not drag down the momentum that seems to have been built.

But after the meltdown on Wall Street does real estate look like the better investment now?

Pending home sales for August rose in all four of the regions tracked by the NAR.
Gains amounted to 18.4% in the West, 8.4% in the Northeast, 3.6% in the Midwest and 2.3% in the South.
July’s pending home sales index was revised to a decline of 2.7% from a prior estimate of a 3.2% decrease.
NAR says pending home-sales activity rose because of buyers taking advantage of low prices and affordable interest rates. August’s results show an “unleashing of pent-up demand” before the credit crisis worsened in September, Yun said. via Marketwatch

Related posts:
  1. February U.S. Home Sales Climb 4.7% in February, 2009
  2. Canadian Real Estate Sales Drops 17 Percent in 2008
  3. Third Quarter Existing Homes Sales Increase 11.4 Percent, Prices Drop 11.2 Percent
  4. Mortgage Lending Drops as Interest Rates Rise – Surprised
  5. Housing Market Shows Stronger June Sales

There Are 4 Responses So Far. »

  1. Its always going to be a better investment than stocks for those who know how to buy it. Any fool can ride the appreciation wave but one day that wave will hit the shore.

  2. Don’t buy out of your means and you will be able to survive. The problem with many homeowners now is that they bought way outside of their means and are now paying for it.

  3. I think real estate is generally a more secure investment because its has a physicality to it. You can actually walk on, touch it, feel it, and live in the home that you purchased. So even if you are living in a depressed real estate market, you still have something to show for the money that you are paying out each month.

  4. [...] bit of good news that not everything in the real estate world is negative.  Home sales are up in some areas.  Overall, if you compare August 2008 to July 2008, pending home sales have increased 7.4%.  And [...]

Post a Response

« Back to text comment
  • Popular

    Most Comments

    Search

    Tags

    Archives

  • Recent Comments

    • The question is when are they going to release them on the market. Las Vegas leads the nation in ...
      Tony Sena | 19Nov09 | More
    • I keep seeing mentions of Florida's market getting better in multiple blogs. I'm increasingly under the assumption that at least ...
      Cary NC Homes for Sale | 19Nov09 | More
    • I would like to know more about it. I need to know how you file for it. Please let me ...
      Kala | 19Nov09 | More
    • Great blog, keep the great content coming!
      NickWaltersRE | 19Nov09 | More
    • If you want to succeed, do not say "we can prevent this in the future." Live in reality. ...
      Stephen Davis | 19Nov09 | More
    • Don't worry. Bail out number 2 on the way!
      Stephen Davis | 19Nov09 | More
    • The price of the property depends on its quality and the deal between the management. Good and wise choices are ...
      beaumont houses for sale | 19Nov09 | More
    • This is a sign that the real state industry is about to rise again maybe not on its peak but ...
      houses in beaumont | 19Nov09 | More
    • I don't have experience at actualy working in tha automotive bussinnes, but have experience working in a warehouse invironment. ...
      paula schmidt | 19Nov09 | More
    • We are seeing a strong sellers market in those areas that were hardest hit with the downturn. One nearby city ...
      Bob | 18Nov09 | More
  • Statistics

  • Friends

  • Recent Friends Visiting

  • Subscribe





    Get Updates Delivered Daily By E-Mail:

    Delivered by FeedBurner