Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Oct 25 2005

U.S. Existing Home Sales Unchanged

Summary

The National Association of Realtors reported that September total existing home sales remained unchanged from the prior month at 7.28M. The August level was revised down slightly. Consensus expectations had been for a slightly [...]


The National Association of Realtors reported that September total existing home sales remained unchanged from the prior month at 7.28M. The August level was revised down slightly. Consensus expectations had been for a slightly steeper decline to 7.20M sales. Sales of single-family homes rose 0.6% to 6.38 million while condo & co-op sales fell 4.3% to 900,000 (+9.8% y/y). 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. By region, changes in single family home sales were mixed in September. In the Northeast sales rose by 1.2% (4.8% y/y) for the second consecutive month and rose 4.9% (12.6% y/y) in the South.In the West single family sales slipped 3.3% (+1.4% y/y) and have fallen in two of the last three months. In the Midwest sales fell 3.4% m/m but remained up 3.6% y/y. The median price of an existing single-family home fell 3.4% m/m to $212,200 (14.3% y/y). It was the second decline during the last three months.Prices are not seasonally adjusted and frequently soften following the peak Spring-Summer selling season.

The latest release from the National Association of Realtors is available here.

Existing Home Sales (000, AR) Sept Aug Y/Y 2004 2003 2002
Total Home Sales 7,280 7,280 7.2% 6,723 6,170 5,653
  Single Family Home Sales 6,380 6,340 6.9% 5,913 5,441 4,995
Single Family Median Home Price ($,000) $212.2 $219.7 14.3% $182.8 $169.1 $157.6
  • 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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