Special offer

Existing Home Sales Are Up....Or Are They?

By
Real Estate Agent with Chapman Hall Realtors

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales rose 5.5% in September which is 1.4% higher than September 2007.  So did homes sales really increase in September.  Possibly...my only concern is that buyers had a deadline of September 30, 2008, for seller funded down payment assistance programs.  Congress outlawed these programs effective October 1, 2008.  There was a surge of buyers using these programs in September.  I am wondering if that caused the jump in existing home sales.  Maybe...we will have to see if the trend continues in October. 

Here are some numbers that do show a "bottoming out" effect of the market.  The total housing inventory fell 1.6% in September which represents two consecutive monthly declines since it peaked in July.  The national median existing home price is $191,600 which is down 9% from just 12 months ago.  I believe this number will continue to drop to help clean out inventories. 

Scott Eaves, Associate Broker
(404) 518-3820 - DIRECT
(404) 920-3439 - FAX
www.scottsellsatlanta.com

Keller Williams Realty/Atlanta Classic
3800 Camp Creek Parkway
Suite 18-100 Atlanta, GA  30331
(404) 564-9500