Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than anticipated in August as investors used cash to buy distressed properties. (At a personal level, I have come across numerous homes in a distressed situation with multiple offers waiting for a lender’s decision. This is becoming more of the norm than the exception.)

Purchases of existing houses, which are tabulated when a contract closes, increased 7.7 percent to a five-month high 5.03 million annual rate, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 4.75 million rate.