Tag Archives: New Home Sales

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index fell two points in the association's February reading, coming in at 55 for the month, the group said Tuesday. NAHB Chairman Tom Woods said February's slight decline is "largely attributable to the unusually high snow levels across much of the nation."

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said Thursday that new home purchase applications rose 29 percent from December to January, not including any seasonal adjustments. The group pulled its data from its monthly Builder Application Survey, which tracks application volumes from mortgage subsidiaries of homebuilders.

The Commerce Department estimated Tuesday that new home sales in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000, a jump of 11.6 percent from November's downwardly revised sales rate of 431,000. Economists had expected a smaller increase in sales to a rate of 452,000.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Thursday that applications for new home purchases fell 0.4 percent month-over-month in December. Despite the drop in applications, MBA estimates that new home sales in December came to an unadjusted 28,000, flat from November, while the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate moved up 2 percent to 409,000.

It's been a rollercoaster year for the U.S. housing market, but analysts at Realtor.com say the patterns seen in 2014 could be the foundation for more stable growth in the coming year. In its year-end review, Realtor.com outlined some of the major trends seen in 2014 that signal a strengthening housing recovery.

Sales of newly built single-family properties fell 1.6 percent month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 438,000 in November, according to a report from the Commerce Department. October's sales rate was revised down to 445,000, meaning the month actually saw a decrease as opposed to the slight increase that was originally recorded.

Following a four-point uptick in November, the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Housing Market Index dropped one point to 57 in December, the group said Monday. A reading above 50 indicates that market conditions are viewed more as good than bad.

Looking at the year ahead, Fitch predicts a bounce in both supply and demand for homes as the economy continues to steadily expand and both employment measures and consumer confidence see improvement. With housing starts and new home sales expected to advance, Fitch sees a possibility of higher revenues for homebuilders.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) monthly survey of loan application volumes at home builders shows new home purchase activity was down 22 percent month-over-month in November, the group said Thursday. Looking at all indicators, MBA estimates new single-family home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 401,000 units last month, a 13 percent drop from the association's October estimate.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that sales of new single-family houses were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 458,000 in October, up 0.7 percent from September's revised rate of 455,000 and 1.8 percent over last year's pace of 450,000 sales.