Dec pending home sales fell 1.5 percent: Realtors

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pending sales of previously owned homes fell a steeper-than-expected 1.5 percent in December, pointing to more dreary conditions for the beleaguered housing market, a real estate trade group report on Thursday showed.

NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun predicted home sales activity will remain soft through the first half of the year despite a generational low in mortgage interest rates.

(Reporting By Joanne Morrison; Editing by Neil Stempleman)