 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.0 P5 C5 l9 n% S5 n4 o" a. f
2 P% s" R8 u6 f& fThe 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.6 d F A$ A. C U
: ?5 {& V" Z+ N! o) Z
The median price of a new home dropped nearly 14 per cent to $202,100, the lowest since December 2003. New home prices are now 30 percent higher than of those being resold.1 [5 v6 }$ D$ L$ g% x
* s. y, ~1 }5 u9 e
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. |
|