Pending home sales throughout the nation jumped 7.4 percent in August, the largest increase since October 2001. In fact, pending home sales are showing a steady increase since March signaling that the housing recovery is in its early stages.

Would you welcome a complete stranger into your home or get into a car alone with someone you had just met? For Realtors® and other real estate professionals, these are everyday occurrences. Every job that requires interaction with the public involves some risk, which is why the National Association of Realtors® is reaching out to its 1.3 million members next week as part of its fifth annual REALTOR® Safety Week.

Existing home sales were essentially unchanged in July, with increases in the West and Northeast offset by a decline in the Midwest, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The housing market will probably hold close to present levels in the months ahead, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®. Lawrence Yun, NAR senior economist, said he isn’t looking for any notable changes in sales activity.

Home buyers in increasing numbers want garages with two or more spaces in their homes, according to the 2007 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences, released today by the National Association of Realtors®.