 鲜花( 34)  鸡蛋( 5)
|
Sales of new American homes plunged in February to the fewest on records dating back nearly half a century, a dismal sign for an already-weak housing market.
1 t4 j+ F7 U8 H1 |) T" j/ R3 S2 l! i$ G6 L: J$ }# b6 F
The Commerce Department said Wednesday new home sales fell 16.9 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000 homes. It's the third straight monthly decline and far below the 700,000-a-year pace that economists view as healthy.
& }# J! [. y+ `$ J& p( P5 }3 N2 w7 Q/ ?* c5 ^# o
The median price of a new home dropped nearly 14 per cent to $202,100, the lowest since December 2003. New home prices are now 30 percent higher than of those being resold.
# _: M# Q- R% {# U' X7 W4 M" `7 [
Builders have struggled to compete with a wave of foreclosures that has lowered the price of previously occupied homes. High unemployment, tight credit and uncertainty over prices have also kept many potential buyers from making purchases. |
|