home inventories

It's a summer for the record books in the U.S. housing sector -- and not in a good way. New-home sales unexpectedly plunged 12.4% in July to the lowest level since the Commerce Department began keeping records for the statistic in 1963.

The U.S. housing market suffered another modest setback in June as pending sales of homes fell 2.6%, but less than the 3.7% consensus estimate. Still, pending sales are now 18.6% lower than the June 2009 figure.

Boosted by fiscal stimulus, construction spending rose 0.1% in June, the Commerce Department said. But spending for May was revised downward.

After the federal home buyers tax credit ended at the end of April, analysts expected that sales would drop 7% in June. The reality was not quite that bad, with a 5.1% decline. Should Congress renew the credit?