Home Sales, Prices Fall While Realtors Blame Lenders, Appraisers

``Sales of existing homes fell in October to an annual rate of 4.43 million units, a small decline from the prior month, but a 26% plunge from the same month a year ago, according to new figures released by the National Association of Realtors. The realty trade group – which recently criticized mortgage bankers for being too tight with credit – tried to put a good face on the numbers, saying "The housing market is experiencing an uneven recovery, and a temporary foreclosure stoppage in some states is likely to have held back a number of completed sales."''