US Existing-Home Sales Slide to Lowest Level Since October

  • Contract closings dropped 2.5% in August, more than forecast
  • First-time buyers’ share of purchases matched record low
A home for sale in Seattle, Washington, US.Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg
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Sales of existing US homes fell in August to a 10-month low on persistent affordability challenges ahead of a recent decline in mortgage rates.

Contract closings decreased 2.5% from a month earlier to a 3.86 million annualized rate, according to figures released Thursday from the National Association of Realtors. That was weaker than the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists.