The price of a new single-family home soared to a record high in April as sales jumped 2.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000, the Census Bureau and HUD reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected April sales to increase to 425,000 from March's originally reported 417,000. March sales were revised to 444,000. The median price of a new home, according to the Census/HUD report, soared $20,900 (8.3 percent) in April to $271,600, the highest price on record.
Read More »Existing-Home Sales, Prices Up in April, Activity Constrained
Existing-home sales rose a 0.6 percent in April to an annual sales rate of 4.97 million, the highest level since November 2009, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Wednesday. Economists had expected a 1.6 percent increase to 5.0 million from March's original report of 4.92 million sales. The median price of an existing single-family home jumped $8,900 in the month to $192,800, the highest since August 2008.
Read More »Homeownership Rate Declines to Lowest Level Since 1995
The nation's homeownership rate fell to 65 percent in the first quarter of 2013, according to data from the Census Bureau.
Read More »Case-Shiller Indices Continue Rapid Gains in February
Despite weakness in the Midwest, home prices posted their strongest year-over-year gain in almost seven years in February, according to the Case-Shiller 10- and 20-city Home Price Indexes released Tuesday. Month-over-month, the 10-city index improved 0.4 percent in February, while the 20-city index was up 0.3 percent. On a yearly basis, the 10-city index was up 8.6 percent, and the 20-city index rose 9.3 percent. Economists had forecast the 20-city index would rise slightly to 146.16, essentially unchanged from January.
Read More »Pending Home Sales Climb in March, Progress Slows
The National Association of Realtors' (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose 1.5 percent to 105.7 in March, the highest level in almost three years, the group reported.
Read More »Florida Housing Market Sees Widespread Improvement in December
Florida's housing market continued on the course to recovery in December, according to the latest data released by Florida Realtors.
Read More »October Pending Home Sales Reach 5-Year High
The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose 5.2 percent to 104.8 in October, its highest level since March 2007, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, explained the jump by suggesting buyers are responding to favorable market conditions, noting "[w]e've had very good housing affordability conditions for quite some time, but we're seeing more impact now from steady job creation, and rising consumer confidence about home buying now that home prices have clearly turned positive."
Read More »Single-Family Home Sales Up 6% in Texas: Report
The Lone Star State once again boasted signs of strength in housing in February, with single-family home sales ticking up 6 percent in the fourth quarter last year. The Texas Association of Realtors revealed a blend of varying averages for home sales and values in a quarterly housing report it released this week. Citing several sources, the association found home sales lifting by 12 percent in February, with average prices declining 0.7 percent. It said that sales in Houston and Dallas each rose and fell by 1 percent.
Read More »Illinois Home Sales Climbed in December
Illinois received an unexpected gift during December - rising home sales. Crediting the unseasonably mild weather, low mortgage interest rates, and attractive market pricing, the state recorded its sixth consecutive month of increasing numbers of homes sold. According to the recent report released by the Illinois Association of Realtors, the total number of homes sales during December was up 14 percent year-over-year. Overall, data from Illinois showed 8,828 homes sold for the month, off of 7,746 sold during December 2010.
Read More »Housing Numbers Show Happy New Year for Some States
Statistical tallies for fourth-quarter home sales seem to support the idea that 2012 will represent a period of growth in some regions, and throughout the U.S., the National Association of Realtors reported a 12.2 percent jump in November sales on a year-over-year basis.
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