U.S. July existng home sales up 3.1%, inventories rise (by Greg Robb)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Resales of U.S. single-family homes and condos rose 3.1% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.0 million, the National Association of Realtors reported Monday. Resales have sunk 13.2% in the past year. The gain was stronger than expected. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected sales to rise to 4.91 million. Despite the increase in sales, the inventory of unsold homes on the market rose 3.9% to 4.67 million, an 11.2 month supply at the current sales pace. The median sales prices fell 7.1% in the past year to $212,400.