Unexpected sign of weakness from the American real estate market. New home sales in the United States fell 7% last December to 414 units from 445 in November (revised downwards by 19 units), according to reports from the US Department of Commerce.
Analysts had forecast an increase in the result to 455 units, although some had anticipated that particularly cold temperatures and various climatic difficulties could have weighed on sales activities.
However, this is the weakest figure since the summer months, when mortgage rates had started to rise in the wake of indications from the Federal Reserve in view of the tapering started in January. The median price of new homes in December rose to $270.200, the highest since last April and up 4,6% from a year earlier.
