Current-home gross sales elevated by practically 7% between December and January, hitting a seasonally-adjusted, annual fee of 6.5 million, the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors mentioned Friday. Economists polled by MarketWatch anticipated the tempo of house gross sales to come back in at 6.1 million. In comparison with a yr in the past, gross sales have been down greater than 2%. The stock of properties on the market dropped to a different file low, because the median value for an current house rose by greater than 15% on an annual foundation.