JANUARY HOUSING SALES DROP, REALTY GROUP SAYS
  Sales of previously owned homes
  dropped 14.5 pct in January to a seasonally adjusted annual
  rate of 3.47 mln units, the National Association of Realtors
  (NAR) said.
      But the December rate of 4.06 mln units had been the
  highest since the record 4.15 mln unit sales rate set in
  November 1978, the group said.
      "The drop in January is not surprising considering that a
  significant portion of December's near-record pace was made up
  of sellers seeking to get favorable capital gains treatment
  under the old tax laws," said the NAR's John Tuccillo.