Pending Home Sales Are Up

March 30, 2023
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According to a recent release from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) pending home sales have been on the rise for the second consecutive month. Regardless of the number of transactions being lower than last year at this time, contract signings have increased by 8.1% in January.
 
“Buyers responded to better affordability from falling mortgage rates in December and January,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
 
NAR expects that the economy will remain healthy and add jobs both this year and next with 30 year fixed mortgages lowering rates to just over 6% this year and into the mid 5’s next. Yun expects that this year we will still see lower year-over-year sales before rebounding next year. 
 
“Home sales activity looks to be bottoming out in the first quarter of this year, before incremental improvements will occur,” Yun said. “But an annual gain in home sales will not occur until 2024. Meanwhile, home prices will be steady in most parts of the country with a minor change in the national median home price.”
 
NAR also forecasts that home prices will stay stable compared to last year in most areas. NAR also estimates that we will see larger price increases resume come 2024.
 

Breakdown By Region

 
The Northeast pending home sales increased by 6.0% this January from the month before. The Midwest grew by 7.9% for the same time period. 
 
The South region increased by 8.3% while the West jumped the most by 10.1% in January from the month before. “An extra bump occurred in the West region because of lower home prices, while gains in the South were due to stronger job growth in that region,” Yun added.
 
All in all these signs show good strength and positivity in the marketplace. 
 
 
 
Beth Dickerson

Beth Dickerson

Boston, MA

About The Author

One of Boston’s most reputable real estate brokers, Beth Dickerson has achieved more than $2 billion in sales and thousands of successful real estate transactions over her nearly thirty-year tenure. Beth has received national acclaim from the real estate industry and represents some of the most prestigious residents and properties across Massachusetts. Her enduring record as a top producer comes from the intuitive gift of sensing her clients’ needs. She has built a business that is referral-based at its core—a testament to her relationship-driven approach and penchant for exceeding expectations. It is this nuanced expertise that Beth leverages to guide many of her clients-turned-friends through some of the greatest milestones of their lives.


Beth was the proprietor of her own real estate company before joining the residential division of R. M. Bradley in 1993, where she was a top producer for more than a decade.  In 2003, she founded her own boutique real estate firm, Dickerson Real Estate, before merging with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007. Today, Beth attributes her success to her comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies, exclusive contact network, and unparalleled insight into neighborhoods like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End and Waterfront. With an understanding that no two clients are alike, she works with clients in all phases of life—from first-time buyers to luxury developers, seasoned sellers and beyond. Beth offers clients the resources to aggressively market their property locally, nationally and globally, and her attention to detail, drive and enthusiasm are unmatched.


Beth has appeared in prestigious media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Mansion Global, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine, and was prominently featured as Greater Boston’s real estate expert on WCVB Chronicle in 2020. She has had the honor of serving as President of the Downtown Council of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. For over ten years, she has been a Co-Chair and Committee Member for the Massachusetts General Pediatric Hospital for Children’s Storybook Ball. She serves as a Board Member of the Community Music Center of Boston and a member for the Perkins School for the Blind, Emerald Necklace Park Conservancy, Justine Liff Luncheon, Youth Villages and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, among dozens of other organizations throughout the Boston area.

A long-time resident of Boston’s Back Bay, Beth was an active member of the community as she raised her two children: she served as treasurer of the Clarendon Street Playground and was an avid supporter of the Hill House Community Center.