The pending home sales index is a leading indicator of existing home sales (resales). The National Association of Realtors (NASR) developed the index.
Pending home sales are those in which a contract was signed, but not yet closed. It usually takes four to six weeks to close a contracted sale
EconodayComments
Pending home sales fell a steep 2.2 percent in the month which points to unwelcome weakness for final sales of existing homes especially in January and also February. Final sales in December, reported last week, dropped a very sharp 6.4 percent to a 4.990 million annualized rate that was the lowest in more than three years. The pending sales index can be volatile but the direction of today’s indication is unmistakable.
History
In December, existing home sales fell 6.4% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.99 million in December. Economists expected a 1.3% decline.
I commented Existing Home Sales Plunge 6.4%, Down 10.3% Y-O-Y, Worst Reading in Over 3 Years.
The pending index suggests more weakness, but we have to wait for the data. If accurate, expect another 2.2% decline on top of the chart shown.
The Existing-Home Sales data release for January 2019 is scheduled for Thursday, February 21, 2019.
The Jobs report due Friday, February 1, will be on schedule.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Thr R.E. market is, as of today, is REGIONAL , not NATIONAL, so as a potential buyer it would be helpful to have some ‘microdata’/ regional data.
Only the reports that are on time meet the new market guidelines. The others require significant eraser and black marker upgrades.
It’s the weather. It’s always the weather. The weather is always the result of global warming and adversely affects home sales.
…and the way to deal with bad weather, is always to print more money, and hand it to the usual welfare queens…
Slowing/stopping the sell off of the balance sheet is much more invisible to the general population than raising the Fed rate.