Existing Home Sales Edge Down as Prices Rise
U.S. home resales edged downward in March, pointing to some slowdown in the housing market recovery pace as overall economic activity cools.
U.S. home resales edged downward in March, pointing to some slowdown in the housing market recovery pace as overall economic activity cools.
From a happy homebuilder to an embarrassed yoga gear retailer, here's a rundown of this week's big wins and toughest misses in the business world.
The housing market is improving, but there are still some troubling signs out there. Here's what's happening in local markets around the country.
U.S. home prices jumped in January, a sign the housing market is gaining momentum as it nears the spring selling season. Home prices rose 9.7 percent in January from a year ago, according to data released Tuesday by CoreLogic. That's up from an 8.3 percent increase in December and the biggest annual gain since April 2006.
A measure of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes increased last month to its highest level in two and a half years, the latest sign of improvement in the once-battered housing market. The National Association of Realtors said Friday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 1.7 percent in November from October to 106.4.
U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006. The jump adds to signs of a comeback in the housing market. But month-over-month, prices fell 0.2 percent in October from September, reflecting the end of the summer home-buying season.
Lawmakers of both parties are hunting for ways to raise tax revenue as part of a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. But they should stay away from touching the mortgage interest tax deduction, warns the U.S. housing industry, lest they throw a wrench the long-sputtering economic recovery.
It's the question every incumbent up for reelection has had to answer since challenger Ronald Reagan first posed it to President Jimmy Carter in 1980. But in this 2012 campaign, the answer is not so simple, for all the rhetoric on both sides.
U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped in August to the highest level in more than two years, adding momentum to the housing recovery. Sales rose 7.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said.
Home prices have finally started to inch higher. Builders are growing revenues again. But hold your applause: It may be too early to start calling this an actual housing recovery.
Americans signed the most contracts to buy homes in July than at any other point in the last two years, further evidence of a housing recovery.
Americans bought more homes in July than in June, the latest evidence that the housing market is slowly, but steadily, improving. Sales of previously occupied homes rose 2.3 percent in July.
A new study shows that individual debt is falling at the fastest rate in nearly 50 years. But not everyone is contributing positively to that statistic, and many Americans are still struggling with overwhelming debt.
While Americans are still reeling from the housing bust, people from around the globe are scooping up cheap American homes. Over the 12 months that ended in March, nearly 9% of all real estate spending in the U.S. was done by buyers from abroad. Is it "Rising Sun" all over again?
Americans signed more contracts to buy previously occupied homes in May, matching the fastest pace in two years. The increase suggests home sales will rise this summer and the modest housing recovery will continue.














