Weak Home Sales, But Improving Inventory Levels

WASHINGTON -- Existing-home sales resumed tumbling in December and the median price dropped. Home resales fell to a 4.89 million annual rate, a 2.2% decrease from November's unrevised 5.00 million annual pace, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. For 2007, existing home sales tumbled 13% to 5.652 million.

Inventories of homes fell 7.4% at the end of December to 3.91 million available for sale, which represented a 9.6-month supply at the current sales pace. There was a 10.1-month supply at the end of November, revised from a previously estimated 10.3 months.

If there's a bright spot in the housing market, it might be that the "Months supply of homes at the current sales rate" declined in November and December, after increasing for nine consecutive months (see chart above), suggesting an improving balance between the supply of home available for sale and the demand from homebuyers.

The WSJ has this website available for the "Months Supply" data in 28 major real estate markets, which shows a huge variation around the country, from lows of 5-6 months inventory in Boston, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Portland, Raleigh, and Seattle (suggesting fairly health real estate markets with homes selling at rates close to the 2004-2005 average of 4.5 months) to double-digit highs in Miami (29 months!), Orlando (17.5), Las Vegas (18), Detroit (19), and Tampa (16).