A pending sale is when the buyer and seller agree on terms of the sale of a home and have a signed purchase and sale agreement, but have yet to close. When the deal closes, the home will be counted as sold.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2008, which marked the end of five consecutive record years for existing home sales and the onset of the recession.
The rise in homes put under contract in September, including single family homes and condominiums, bodes well for closings in October and November.