In June, new home sales went up from the record low they were in May. Ever since the end of the homebuyers tax credit, new home sales have gone down a lot which makes June nevertheless the second lowest on record. Many think the post-tax-credit slump is apparently getting over with. Numerous believe the high U.S. unemployment rate and foreclosures make the good news look like nothing.
New home sales up, but up isn't better
The annual rate for units in May was 267,000 while it jumped in June 22.6 percent to 330,000 reported the Commerce Department on Monday. CNBC reports that records weren't kept until 1963, and since then, June was still the second lowest month. However, the percentage increase was the largest increase since May 1980, and partially offset the historic 36.7 percent decline in May. All year, there is an expectation from economists for the U.S. housing market to stay fairly low.
Anything seems to worse with record low mortgage rates
The lowest mortgage rates ever on record are what have made new home sales better than ever. Bloomberg reports that record low mortgage rates are serving as a stabilizer for the U.S. housing industry that triggered the worst recession since the 1930s. Since unemployment is at 10 percent, the majority are unwilling to put their money into a home while foreclosures are leaving more and more homes unsold. New home prices are continuing to get lower and lower. The median price for new home sales decreased 0.6 percent from June 2009 to $ 213,400.
Economic recovery depends on U.S. housing market still
New homes sales made up about 7 percent of the U.S. housing market last year. Taragana.com reports that number is down from a portion of about 15 percent before the housing crisis. Construction jobs are dropping with weak new home sales meaning the economic recovery can no longer be driven by the construction industry, which historically has been the driving force. Each new home built creates, on average, three jobs for a year and generates about $ 90,000 in taxes paid to local and federal authorities, as outlined by the National Association of Home Builders. The effect is felt across multiple industries.
Resources
CNBC
cnbc.com/id/38412228
Bloomberg
bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-26/sales-of-u-s-new-houses-climb-to-330-000-more-than-economists-forecasts.html
Taragana.com
blog.taragana.com/business/2010/07/26/new-us-home-sales-in-june-tick-up-slightly-but-remain-low-as-demand-for-housing-slumps-82763/
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