Sales rose in all four regions. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast contracts, which become sales after a month or two, would edge up 0.1%. Pending home sales advanced 1.1% from a year earlier.

Consumers picked up their spending in June showing resilience despite anxiety high over tariffs and the U.S. economy.

Home sales are on track to rise 10 percent this year to their highest level in five years, buoyed by ultra-low mortgage rates and steady job gains. The Realtors group forecasts that sales may rise in ...

By region, previously owned home sales in the South, the country’s biggest home-selling region, increased 1.7% to an annualized 1.84 million homes. Sales also rose in the Northeast and Midwest.

Sales last month in the South, the biggest US homebuilding region, slumped 21%, the most in nearly 12 years. Contract signings in the West and Midwest also fell, while they rose in the Northeast.

An index of contract signings rose 1.8% last month to 72.6, a mild gain after dropping in April by the most since 2022, data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors show.

Despite economic anxiety and tariffs, US retail sales rose by 0.6% in June. Consumers focused on essentials, with online ...