Number of contracts to buy homes at highest point since July

WASHINGTON – More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in February, with purchases surging in the Midwest ahead of the traditional spring buying season.

The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 3.5 per cent to 109.1, rebounding from a 3 per cent decline in January. The index has reached its highest level since July 2015.

The increase in signed contracts occurred last month despite a shortage of homes on the market. The gain suggests a strong start to the spring home buying season, after some recent reports have hinted at a possible slowdown as rising prices have hurt affordability.

Pending sales contracts are a barometer of future purchases. A sale is typically completed a month or two after a contract is signed.

Regionally, signed contracts climbed 11.4 per cent in the Midwest, with more modest gains in the South and West. In the Northeast, the number of contracts dipped 0.2 per cent.

Last week, the Realtors reported that completed sales tumbled 7.1 per cent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.08 million. That drop-off came after relatively healthy sales levels in December and January, which were due in part to a new federal regulation that had delayed closings in November.

Monday’s pending sales report indicates that demand remains solid even though home prices are rising and buyers have a limited number of listings from which to choose.

The median home sales price was $210,800 in February, a 4.4 per cent increase from a year ago.

Listings in February fell 1.1 per cent from a year ago. Many homeowners are hesitant to sell because they would need more equity to cover a down payment for upgrading to a new house. Investors have also turned many homes into rentals, further depriving the market of properties for sale.