Pending home sales slip in April
Following two straight months of modest growth, the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) fell 1.3% in April to 106.4 from an upwardly revised 107.8 in March, according to National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Following last month’s decrease, the index is down 2.1% on an annualized basis for the fourth straight month.
A severe housing shortage in many regions of the country is behind the slip, says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.
“Feedback from realtors, as well as the underlying sales data, reveal that the demand for buying a home is very robust. Listings are typically going under contract in under a month, and instances of multiple offers are increasingly common and pushing prices higher,” Yun said. “The unfortunate reality for many home shoppers is that reaching the market will remain challenging if supply stays at these dire levels.”
Heading into the summer months, if low supply and swift price growth were not enough of a headwind for the housing market, Yun believes that rising mortgage rates and gas prices could lead to hesitation among some would-be buyers.
“The combination of paying extra at the pump, while also needing to save more for a down payment because of higher rates and home prices, may weigh on the psyche of those looking to buy,” he said. “For now, the economy is very healthy, job growth is holding steady and wages are slowly rising. However, it all comes down to overall supply. If more new and existing homes are listed for sale, it would allow home prices to moderate enough to stave off inflationary pressures and higher rates.”
Yun said he still forecasts existing-home sales in 2018 to increase 0.5% to 5.54 million – up from 5.51 million in 2017. The national median existing-home price is expected to increase around 5.1 percent. In 2017, existing sales increased 1.1 percent and prices rose 5.7 percent.
The PHSI in the Northeast remained at 90.6 in April and is 2.1% below a year ago. In the Midwest the index decreased 3.2% to 98.5 in April and is 5.1% lower than April 2017. Pending home sales in the South declined 1.0% to an index of 127.3 in April but is still 2.7% higher than last April. The index in the West fell 0.4% in April to 94.4 and is 4.6% below a year ago.
Following last month’s decrease, the index is down 2.1% on an annualized basis for the fourth straight month.
A severe housing shortage in many regions of the country is behind the slip, says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.
“Feedback from realtors, as well as the underlying sales data, reveal that the demand for buying a home is very robust. Listings are typically going under contract in under a month, and instances of multiple offers are increasingly common and pushing prices higher,” Yun said. “The unfortunate reality for many home shoppers is that reaching the market will remain challenging if supply stays at these dire levels.”
Heading into the summer months, if low supply and swift price growth were not enough of a headwind for the housing market, Yun believes that rising mortgage rates and gas prices could lead to hesitation among some would-be buyers.
“The combination of paying extra at the pump, while also needing to save more for a down payment because of higher rates and home prices, may weigh on the psyche of those looking to buy,” he said. “For now, the economy is very healthy, job growth is holding steady and wages are slowly rising. However, it all comes down to overall supply. If more new and existing homes are listed for sale, it would allow home prices to moderate enough to stave off inflationary pressures and higher rates.”
Yun said he still forecasts existing-home sales in 2018 to increase 0.5% to 5.54 million – up from 5.51 million in 2017. The national median existing-home price is expected to increase around 5.1 percent. In 2017, existing sales increased 1.1 percent and prices rose 5.7 percent.
The PHSI in the Northeast remained at 90.6 in April and is 2.1% below a year ago. In the Midwest the index decreased 3.2% to 98.5 in April and is 5.1% lower than April 2017. Pending home sales in the South declined 1.0% to an index of 127.3 in April but is still 2.7% higher than last April. The index in the West fell 0.4% in April to 94.4 and is 4.6% below a year ago.