贷款利率太高惹的祸！美国4月成屋签约销售降幅创2022年9月以来最大

Core Insights - The April pending home sales index in the U.S. fell by 6.3% month-over-month, marking the largest decline since September 2022, with expectations of a 1% decrease and a previous increase of 6.1% [2] - Year-over-year, the pending home sales index dropped by 3.5%, contrary to expectations of a 2.7% increase and a previous decline of 0.1% [2] Regional Performance - The pending home sales in the Western region decreased by 8.9%, the largest drop in two and a half years [3] - The South, the largest housing market in the U.S., saw a 7.7% decline in pending sales [3] - The Midwest region experienced a 5% decrease in pending home sales [3] Market Analysis - The decline in the pending home sales index indicates a disappointing performance for the spring selling season in the U.S. secondary housing market, as potential buyers are deterred by high home prices and mortgage costs [4] - NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun, highlighted that the core issue is the high mortgage rates, currently around 7%, which are beyond the affordability range for buyers. He suggested that only a reduction to around 6% could revitalize the market [4] - Despite an increase in housing supply, it has not led to a rise in transaction volumes, with Yun stating that lower mortgage rates are essential to attract buyers back to the market [4] - Economists noted that the pending home sales, a leading indicator, have become less reliable due to unstable conversion rates from contracts to final sales [4] - The cancellation rate for pending home sales rose to 7% from January to April 2024, the highest level this year [4]