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Existing Home Sales Plunge In March

Sales down nearly 20% from one year ago

April 22, 2008

The sales figures include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. A rise in condo sales in March was offset by a drop in single-family sales. Regionally, sales rose in the Northeast and West but fell in the Midwest and South.

"Though mortgage rates are at historically low levels, some borrowers are facing restrictive lending practices in declining markets," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. "At the same time, many buyers continue to bide their time with a large number of homes to choose from, while other potential buyers remain on the sidelines."

Prices also continue to fall. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $200,700 in March, down 7.7 percent from a year ago when the median was $217,400.

The group says that because the slowdown in sales from a year ago is greater in high-cost areas, there is a downward pull to the national median with relatively higher sales activity in low-cost markets.

Some areas of the country are healthier than others when it comes to prices. The Realtors point to Des Moines, Iowa; Austin, Texas; and Durham, North Carolina, as markets where houses have gained some value over last year.

Meanwhile, mortgage rates remain below six percent. According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 5.97 percent in March from 5.92 percent in February; the rate was 6.16 percent in March 2007.

Meanwhile, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif., said there are problems with the implementation of mortgage guidelines.

"It appears there is some over-reaction on the part of some lenders now in requiring higher downpayment percentages than may be necessary," said NAR President Richard F. Gaylord. "On the other hand, buyers in many parts of the country are able to take advantage of more lenient policies for FHA loans. However, because lenders don't have enough underwriting experience with FHA loans in high-cost areas, there are localized bottlenecks in loan processing."

Lawrence Yun, chief economicst for the National Association of Realtors, predicted sales should begin to show improvements in the second half of the year, but warned about the dangers of inflation.

"With elevated inflation, the Federal Reserve should be extra careful about further rate cuts," Yun cautioned. "Mortgage interest rates, which do not move directly with Fed funds rates, may rise measurably and hurt the housing recovery if inflation gets out of hand. Monetary stimulus is plentiful – what is needed more at this point is a home buyer tax credit to get buyers off the sidelines and prevent the market from overshooting on the downside."

Total housing inventory rose 1.0 percent at the end of March percent to 4.06 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.9-month supply at the current sales pace, up from a 9.6-month supply in February.

Single-family home sales fell 2.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million in March from 4.47 million in February, and are 18.4 percent below the 5.33 million-unit pace in March 2007. The median existing single-family home price was $198,200 in March, down 8.3 percent from a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000 units in March from 560,000 in February, but are 25.5 percent below the 779,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price (4) was $219,400 in March, which is 2.8 percent lower than March 2007.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 2.2 percent to an annual pace of 910,000 in March, but are 18.8 percent below March 2007. The median price in the Northeast was $284,300, up 4.6 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West rose 2.2 percent in March to a level of 940,000 but are 22.3 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $285,100, which is 14.7 percent lower than March 2007.

In the South, existing-home sales fell 3.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.92 million in March and are 20.0 percent below March 2007. The median price in the South was $167,200, down 7.1 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest dropped 6.5 percent to an annual rate of 1.16 million in March, and are 15.9 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $152,600, down 5.3 percent from March 2007.

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