By Robert Hughes
Sales of existing homes fell 6.4 percent in December to a 4.99 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. Sales are down 10.3 percent from a year ago and 12.8 percent from the recent peak of 5.72 million in November 2017. Sales declined in all four regions tallied: sales were off 11.2 percent in the Midwest and were 10.5 percent below the year-ago level; sales declined 6.8 percent in the Northeast, putting sales 6.8 percent below year-ago levels; sales dropped 5.4 percent in the South, leaving that region's sales rate 8.7 percent below the