Pending Home Sales Sank 2.6 Percent In June

Weak economy and tight lending standards kept home buyers away

WASHINGTON — The number of buyers who signed contracts to purchase homes dropped in June, as the weak U.S. economy and tight lending standards kept consumers away from the housing market.

The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that its seasonally adjusted index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes dipped 2.6 percent to a reading of 75.7.

That was the lowest on records dating back to 2001 and down nearly 19 percent from the same month a year earlier. The index has fallen by more than 40 percent from its peak in April 2005.

May's reading was revised slightly downward to 77.7. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected the index would rise to 78.1.

The index provides an early measure of sales activity because there is usually a one- to two-month lag between a sales contract and a completed deal.

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