The number of sales of existing homes fell by 1.9 percent nationwide but increased by 3.2 percent in the Northeast, according to the National Association of Realtors .
The NAR’s pending home sales index, which is based on the number of sales contracts signed, slipped in February by 1.9 percent to 84.6. That’s 21.4 percent below the association’s reading of 107.6 in February of 2007.
In the Northeast, the index increased 3.2 percent to 71.8, but that’s still 25.4 percent below last year.
