NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.00 million SAAR in January; Median Prices Down 13.2% from Peak in June 2022

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.00 million SAAR in January

Excerpt: On prices, the NAR reported: The median existing-home price3 for all housing types in January was $359,000, an increase of 1.3% from January 2022 ($354,300), as prices climbed in three out of four U.S. regions while falling in the West. This marks 131 consecutive months of year-over-year increases, the longest-running streak on record.Median prices are distorted by the mix (repeat sales indexes like Case-Shiller and FHFA are probably better for measuring prices).

The YoY change in the median price peaked at 25.2% in May 2021 and has now slowed to 1.3%. Note that the median price usually starts falling seasonally in July, so the 2.0% decline in January in the median price was partially seasonal, however the 13.2% decline in the median price over the last seven months has been much larger than the usual seasonal decline.

It is likely the median price will be down year-over-year soon – and the Case-Shiller index will follow.There is much more in the article.  You can subscribe at https://calculatedrisk.substack.com/ Please subscribe!