Housing sales skid 32 percent

LEXINGTON – Sales of previously-owned homes in Massachusetts plummeted 32 percent in September, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported. That is almost triple the national rate of decline, which was reported by the National Association of Realtors to be 11.7 percent during the same period. Massachusetts Realtors reported resale closings dropped from 5,455 in August to 3,703 in September, the Globe reported. Year over year figures were closer to the national rate with September sales this year at 3,703, compared with 4,174 in September a year ago, an 11 percent difference, the Globe reported.