The National Association of Realtors reports that pending home sales continued their rise in June.

The largest jump was seen in the South, where pending home sales rose 7.1 percent, coming in 8.9 percent higher than a year ago. All regions saw at least a minimal increase. The smallest increase was seen in the Northeast, at just .4 percent.

All regions, except for the West, were also at significantly higher levels than in June of 2008. The West was .2 percent below June 2008.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a combination of positive market factors is fueling the gains. "Historically low mortgage interest rates, affordable home prices and large selection are encouraging buyers who’ve been on the sidelines.  Activity has been consistently much stronger for lower priced homes," he said.  "Because it may take as long as two months to close on a home after signing a contract, first-time buyers must act fairly soon to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit because they must close on the sale by November 30."

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Published: August 5, 2009

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