The March NAR Pending Home Sales Index rose 5.3 percent to 102.9 from 97.7 in February and is 21.1 percent above March 2009 when it was 85.0. Watch this podcast with Lawrence Yun, chief economist with NAR as he discusses home sales trends and what may be anticipated in the next few months with home sale activity and home values. Yun is seeing broad-based recovery in most housing markets nationwide.

The Midwest index increased 1.2 percent to 98.9 and is 18.5 percent above a year ago.