Purchases of previously owned homes fell in September for the first time in three months, retreating from an almost four-year high as rising prices and mortgage rates discouraged would-be buyers. Sales dropped 1.9 percent to a 5.29 million annual rate, the National Association of Realtors reported today in Washington. The median forecast of 67 economists in a Bloomberg survey called for the pace to slow to 5.3 million. Prices climbed 11.7 percent, pushing affordability down to a five-ear low, the group said. Higher borrowing costs will probably hold back demand, slowing the housing rebound that’s been a source of ... (full story)