Americans signed fewer contracts to purchase homes in October, as would-be buyers struggled to find available properties, according to the Associated Press.
The National Association of Realtors says its pending home sales index, which measures the number of purchase contracts signed, fell 1.7 percent last month. The signed contracts become final purchases one to two months later.
Still, declining mortgage rates over time have lifted home sales. The index is up 4.4 percent from a year ago, according to the Associated Press.
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