by Calculated Risk on 7/22/2015 10:10:00 AM

The NAR reports: Existing-Home Sales Rise in June as Home Prices Surpass July 2006 Peak

Existing-home sales increased in June to their highest pace in over eight years, while the cumulative effect of rising demand and limited supply helped push the national median sales price to an all-time high, according to the National Association of Realtors®. ...

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 3.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.49 million in June from a downwardly revised 5.32 million in May. Sales are now at their highest pace since February 2007 (5.79 million), have increased year-over-year for nine consecutive months and are 9.6 percent above a year ago (5.01 million). ...

Total housing inventory at the end of June inched 0.9 percent to 2.30 million existing homes available for sale, and is 0.4 percent higher than a year ago (2.29 million). Unsold inventory is at a 5.0-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 5.1 months in May.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows existing home sales, on a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) basis since 1993.

Sales in June (5.49 million SAAR) were 3.2% higher than last month, and were 9.6% above the June 2014 rate.

The second graph shows nationwide inventory for existing homes.

According to the NAR, inventory increased to 2.30 million in June from 2.28 million in May.   Headline inventory is not seasonally adjusted, and inventory usually decreases to the seasonal lows in December and January, and peaks in mid-to-late summer.

The third graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Since inventory is not seasonally adjusted, it really helps to look at the YoY change. Note: Months-of-supply is based on the seasonally adjusted sales and not seasonally adjusted inventory.

Inventory increased 0.4% year-over-year in June compared to June 2014.  

Months of supply was at 5.0 months in June.

This was above expectations of sales of 5.40 million.  For existing home sales, a key number is inventory - and inventory is still low, but increasing.    I'll have more later ...