Existing Home Sales

Existing home sales data measure sales and prices of existing single-family homes, condos and co-ops for the United States. The release provides the data by region for the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. The report is released monthly by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Existing home sales is a lagging indicator, as it tends to react after a change in mortgage rates.

According to National Association of Realtors (NAR), the reporting of most existing home sales transactions happens after the sales contract closing. The majority of transactions usually involve a mortgage, which may take 30-60 days to close. So, existing home sale data most likely includes contracts which were signed a month or two before the report. 

The U.S. Census Bureau collects and disseminates new home sales data. New home sales data is a leading indicator and changes before the realization of the market trend. The Bureau defines as a new home sale as the signing of a home sales contract, or the acceptance of a deposit. Also, this information comes from new construction permits on the state-level. The house may be at any stage of the construction process. This process includes those structures not yet started, those under construction, and complete structures. About 25% of the houses sell at the time of completion. The remaining 75% splits equally between those not yet started, and those under construction.

New sales and existing home sales data release at around the same time each month. Given the difference in definition, new home sales, a leading indicator, usually lead existing home sales regarding changes in the residential sales market by a month or two. 

For example, an existing home sale in January was probably signed 30 to 45 days earlier in November or December of the previous year. This lapse is due to the usual time it takes to finalize sale documentation and close a mortgage. 

Many different reports analyze housing in the United States. These various studies look at many aspects of the housing market and give insight into buyer activity and regional trends.

• The NAR created a new monthly series in 2005 to overcome the lagging effect of existing home sales, called Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI). Like new home sale data, the PHSI is a leading indicator of housing activity. The release of this report is during the first week of each month. It measures housing contract activity. The basis of the index is on signed real estate contracts for existing single-family homes, condominiums, and co-ops properties. 
• The Housing Affordability Index measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on an average home at the national and regional levels based on the most recent monthly price and income data. 
• The REALTORS® Affordability Distribution Curve and Score measures housing affordability at different income percentiles for all active inventory on the market. For each state, the curve shows how many houses are affordable to households ranked by income. The score represents affordability for all different income percentiles within a single measure.