Sep. 24 at 3:40 PM
$ONIT Sales of single-family homes in the US rise surprisingly sharply
The market for new single-family homes in the US picked up surprisingly strongly in August. Sales rose sharply by 20.5 percent compared to the previous month, resulting in an annualized figure of 800,000, according to the Department of Commerce in Washington. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected only 650,000, following an upward revision to 664,000 (originally 652,000) in the previous month.
New home sales are counted when contracts are signed and are therefore an early indicator for the housing market. However, they can fluctuate from month to month. The sales price rose by 1.9 percent in August compared to the same month last year to an average of
$413,500.