 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.
" h4 G6 R% N0 ?: _4 e" {& ~6 y; _, U! m' n9 U/ D* j( a+ j# m
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.
# I% b* _: }8 L6 {8 P- D+ l+ @6 B% }, }* ~% v h
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.
6 A8 \( @$ j; |4 a0 c8 N" f l) ~7 ]; H( u
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. |
|