After hitting six-month highs in January, February Existing Home Sales slipped by 7.1 percent from the previous month to an annual rate of 5.08 million, below the 5.37 million expected.
The Labor Department reported that Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits fell to a 5-month low, signaling ongoing strength in the job market.
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported this week that new home purchases soared 24% in February from January, as would be buyers got a jump on the spring buying season.
Home prices, including distressed sales, rose 6.9 percent from January 2015 to January 2016, according to CoreLogic, a leading provider of consumer, financial and property information and analytics.