Existing home sales fell in second quarter: NAR

(MarketWatch) -- Total existing home sales in the U.S., including single-family houses and condos, fell 2.9% in the second quarter from the year-earlier period, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Sales rose 3.8% from the first quarter, the realtors group said. "With low interest rates, lower home prices and a first-time buyer tax credit, we've been seeing healthy increases in home sales, which are a hopeful sign for the economy," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.