By Rex Nutting
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Buyers rushed to sign sales contracts on previously owned homes in the United States in April, according to a monthly survey released Wednesday by an industry trade group. The pending home sales index rose 6% in April after an upwardly revsed 7.1% increase in March, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. The index covers signed contracts, not final sales, which usually lag by a month or two. The federal government has been subsidizing home sales with tax credits of up to $8,000 for qualified buyers who signed a sales contract by the end of April. The sale must close by June 30 to qualify. The index is up 22% compared with April 2009.
