Mixed Signals in US Housing Market: Gold Prices Unfazed, Pending Sales Inch Up, LA-OC Homebuying Slumps, Tri-Cities See Price Rise, Iowans Remain Cautious.

Gold prices remain steady above $1,950 an ounce despite a better-than-expected 0.8% increase in US pending home sales transactions in February, according to the National Association of Realtors. Economists view the index as a forward-looking barometer for the housing market, with a lag of a month or two between a contract and a completed sale. The gold market is largely ignoring the latest housing market data as the market consolidates at an elevated level above $1,950 an ounce.