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New home sales unexpectedly plunged much more than economists projected in July for the second month in a row, and amid the falling demand, rising home prices are starting to slow down—prompting experts to predict long-rising housing inflation could be due for a turnaround soon. About 511,000 new single-family houses were sold last month on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, plunging 12.6% below the June rate of 585,000 and coming in sharply below analyst projections of 574,000, the Census Department reported on Tuesday. Despite the plunging demand, prices actually recovered: The median sales price of new homes climbed to $439,400...

Sales of new homes soared in January to a blistering seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 923,000, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That puts sales 4.3 percent above the revised December rate of 885,000 and 19.3 percent above the January 2020 estimate.

As expected (based on Loan Performance’s HPI index yesterday), the S&P Case-Shiller 20 metro index showed average home prices increased 11.6% and 12.1% for the 10- and 20-City Composites in the 12 months ending in April 2013. From March to April, the 10- and 20-City Composites rose 2.6% and 2.5%. Case-Shiller is in white, Loan Performance is in yellow. cs062513 Again, like Loan Performance, all 20 cities and both Composites showed positive year-over-year returns for at least the fourth consecutive month. Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and Minneapolis posted their highest annual gains since the start of their respective indices. On a...

~ EXCERPT ~ WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Sales of new single-family homes collapsed in February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday, as a combination of high unemployment, tumbling prices and a glut of cheaper alternatives brought activity to a near-standstill. New-home sales fell 16.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000 in February, though January’s figures were revised higher to 301,000 from 284,000. Compared to February 2010, sales collapsed by 28%. Every region but the West saw record lows, and in the Northeast, sales dropped by 50% compared to year-earlier levels.

Happy days are here again, right? With the 27% jump in new home sales, announced last week, the real estate crisis is over and we can move on – right? Not by a long shot. The New York Times latest giddy article about the end of Obama’s recession entitled “From the Mall to the Docks, Signs of Rebound” is propaganda. The Commerce Department told us new home sales grew to 411,000 last month; the biggest jump in monthly activity in 47 years: Meaningless. A sober look at the numbers proves the Times is wrong again. The “big jump” was based...

New-home sales fall for the first time since March Related stories By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. sales of new homes unexpectedly fell in September for the first time since March, clouding what had been a sunny period for the beleaguered housing sector. Sales fell 3.6% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 402,000, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Read complete government report. Economists had expected sales to rise to 438,000 in September, boosted by a tax credit for first-time home buyers and an innovative Federal Reserve policy designed to keep mortgage rates low. See Economic...

Get ready for another round of bad reporting: The $8,000 Fed tax credit (1st time buyers) and a $10,000 California tax credit (new homes only) likely helped out in NHS this month. Falling prices are also contributing to sales activity of the sector, which represents about 15% of the overall housing market. Here is the official New Home Sales: Sales of new one-family houses in June 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 11.0 percent (±13.2%)*...

Sales of new homes and orders for durable goods rose faster than expected last month, the government reported yesterday, providing more indications that the economy is expanding at a brisk pace. Separately, the Federal Reserve said that the economic expansion had picked up steam and that inflation remained at bay in June and early July. The central bank's beige book, a periodic survey on economic conditions, noted broad strength in housing, manufacturing, tourism, consumer spending and banking. New-home sales rose by 4 percent, to an annualized rate of 1.37 million in June, breaking a record set the month before, according...

WASHINGTON - Sales of new U.S. homes rose a smaller-than-expected 0.1 percent in December to close out the strongest year on record, a government report showed on Monday.

New Home Sales Set Record High In May. "Sales of new homes in the United States rose 14.8 percent in May to a record seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.37 million, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday. The increase was much larger than expected. Economists surveyed by CBS MarketWatch were expecting a sales rate of about 1.12 million in May. Estimated sales in April were revised higher to an annual rate of 1.19 million from 1.09 million. The number of new homes for sale on the market fell about 0.5 percent to 372,000, representing 3.3-months of sales at the May pace....

US Dec new home sales fell 5.1 pct Wednesday January 28, 9:59 am ET WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Dec Nov (Prev) Oct (Prev) Dec'02 Total Units -5.1 1,060 1,117 1,082 1,149 1,109 1,052 By Region: Pct Dec Nov (Prev) Oct (Prev) Northeast 12.2 92 82 72 87 77 Midwest 8.7 175 161 179 197 199 South -8.1 501 545 518 540 516 West -11.2 292 329 313 325 317 Total December sales of new single-family homes rose...

US Nov new home sales fell 2.4 pct Wednesday December 24, 10:00 am ET WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Nov Oct (Prev) Sep (Prev) Nov'02 Total Units -2.4 1,082 1,109 1,105 1,137 1,145 1,022 By Region: Pct Nov Oct (Prev) Sep (Prev) Northeast -6.5 72 77 87 86 90 Midwest -10.1 179 199 203 196 204 South 0.4 518 516 516 519 521 West -1.3 313 317 299 336 330 Total November sales of new single-family homes rose...

US Oct new home sales fell 3.5 pct Wednesday November 26, 10:00 am ET WASHINGTON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department Reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Oct Sep (Prev) Aug (Prev) Oct'02 Total Units -3.5 1,105 1,145 1,145 1,167 1,147 1,005 By Region: Pct Oct Sep (Prev) Aug (Prev) Northeast -3.3 87 90 97 76 77 Midwest -0.5 203 204 209 257 255 South -1.0 516 521 504 537 517 West -9.4 299 330 335 297 298 Total October sales of new single-family homes rose...

US Sept new home sales fell 0.2 pct Monday October 27, 10:01 am ET WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department Reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Sep Aug Jul Sep'02 Total Units -0.2 1,145 1,147 1,134 1,057 By Region: Pct Sep Aug Jul Northeast 26.0 97 77 76 Midwest -18.0 209 255 226 South -2.5 504 517 531 West 12.4 335 298 301 Total September sales of new single-family homes rose 8.3 percent from September 2002. In 1,000s: Sep Aug Jul Actual Units Sold 92...

U.S. Aug new home sales rose 3.4 pct Thursday September 25, 9:57 am ET WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department Reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Aug Jul Jun Aug'02 Total Units 3.4 1,150 1,112 1,179 1,025 By Region: Pct Aug Jul Jun Northeast 12.5 81 72 83 Midwest 12.9 245 217 188 South -1.1 529 535 549 West 2.4 295 288 359 Total August sales of new single-family homes rose 12.2 percent from August 2002. In 1,000s: Aug Jul Jun Actual Units Sold 100...

US July new home sales fell 2.9 pct Tuesday August 26, 10:01 am ET WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department Reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). . Pct Jul Jun (Prev) May (Prev) Jul'02 Total Units -2.9 1,165 1,200 1,160 1,108 1,108 961 By Region: Pct Jul Jun (Prev) May (Prev) Northeast -20.8 61 77 86 65 65 Midwest 17.3 230 196 190 166 173 South 1.1 572 566 537 545 532 West -16.3 302 361 347 332 338 Total July sales of new single-family homes rose...

US June new home sales rose 4.7 pct Friday July 25, 10:01 am ET WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Department reported sales of new single-family homes, seasonally adjusted, with percent changes from prior month (numbers in 1,000s). Total Units . Pct June May (Prev) Apr (Prev) June'02 . 4.7 1,160 1,108 1,157 999 1,028 959 By Region: Pct June May (Prev) Apr (Prev) Northeast 32.3 86 65 71 69 78 Midwest 9.8 190 173 185 174 182 South 0.9 537 532 554 465 478 West 2.7 347 338 347 291 290 Total June sales of new single-family homes...