Last week's scheduled economic news included reports on new and existing home sales, the FHFA House Price Index, weekly reports on mortgage rates, and new jobless claims. The week finished with a report on consumer sentiment.Existing Home Sales Fall as New Homes Sales and Home Prices RiseThe National Association of Realtors reported that home sales for pre-owned homes fell in August. Analysts expected sales of existing homes to reach a reading of 5.52 million sales on an annual basis, but the actual reading was 5.31 million existing homes sold as compared to July's reading of 5.58 million pre-owned homes sold. Rising home prices were cited as a primary reason for the drop in sales.FHFA's … [Read more...]