Pending home sales sagged for the third straight month in August, the National Association of Realtors reported

WASHINGTON—Pending home sales sagged for the third straight month in August, the National Association of Realtors reported today. Three out of four major regions experienced month-over-month decreases in transactions, however, the West saw a modest gain. Year-over-year, all four regions posted double-digit declines.

The national Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) fell 2.0% to 88.4 in August. Year-over-year, pending transactions dwindled by 24.2%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.

The Northeast PHSI decreased 3.4% from last month to 76.6, down 19.0% from August 2021. This was the second straight month pending home sales have fallen in the Northeast.

“The direction of mortgage rates—upward or downward—is the prime mover for home buying, and decade-high rates have deeply cut into contract signings,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “If mortgage rates moderate and the economy continues adding jobs, then home buying should also stabilize.”

Yun expects the economy will remain sluggish throughout the remainder of this year, with mortgage rates rising to close to 7% in the coming months.

“Only when inflation calms down will we see mortgage rates begin to steady,” said Yun.

As a result of the current interest rate environment and weaker economic activity, NAR expects existing-home sales to decline 15.2% in 2022, to 5.19 million units, while new home sales are projected to fall by 20.9%.

Yun notes that limited housing inventory and almost non-existent distressed property sales have supported home prices. Overall, he forecasts prices will rise by 9.6% in 2022.

In 2023, Yun foresees slower price appreciation and corresponding increases in sales as the year progresses.

“Next year, the annual median home price is expected to rise by only 1.2%,” Yun added. “Home sales will pick up in the second half of 2023, but will be down by 7.1% overall.”

Pending Home Sales Regional Breakdown

The Midwest index fell 5.2% to 88.4 in August, a 21.1% drop from the previous year.

The South PHSI slid 0.9% to 105.4 in August, a decline of 24.2% from a year ago. The West index rose by 1.4% in August to 71.0, down 31.3% from August 2021.

“Home prices are the least affordable in the West and, consequently, the region suffered deeper annual declines in contract signings due to rising interest rates when compared to other areas of the country,” Yun added. “However, the recent increases of the last two months, though small, are encouraging.”