American home sales slump

In June, American home sales suddenly headed south, reporting their third monthly dive in a row because an everlasting shortage of properties on the market spurred house prices to another maximum, probably sidelining some potential purchasers.

On Monday, the National Association of Realtors informed that existing houses sales inched down 0.6% to a seasonally updated annual rate of about 5.38 million units in June. As for May's sales tempo, it was updated downwards to nearly 5.41 million units in contrast with the previously posted 5.43 million units.

Market experts interviewed by Reuters had foreseen existing house sales soaring 0.5% to 5.44 million units in June. Moreover, in the Northeast and Midwest sales rallied, although dived in the West as well as highly populated South.

Apart from that, existing home sales, making up nearly 90% of American home sales, dipped 2.2% from 2017 in June. Apparently, they have slumped on a year-over-year basis four months in a row and dipped 2.2% in the first half of this year.

Sales are being suppressed by a firm shortage of homes on the market. Soaring building materials costs along with shortages of land as well as labor have left builders totally unable to have the inventory gap bridged, spurring house prices.

Supply constraints have mostly accounted for the stagnating housing market, although there are strengthening worries that the higher house prices along with soaring mortgage rates are going to suppress demand. As a matter of fact, the median house price rallied 5.2% from 2017 to an all-time maximum of $276,900 in June. It appeared to be the 76th month in a raw of year-on-year price leaps.

On the contrary, annual wage surge has been stuck below 3%. Additionally, American financial markets generally neglected the data.

Permits for future homes went down too. The same applies to the stock of homes under construction.

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