New Home Sales Were Flat In August, But Prices Rose Sharply

NPR | By Mark Memmott

Published September 26, 2012 at 10:23 AM EDT

Model homes at a new development in Millbrae, Calif., earlier this year.

While the number of new homes sold in August was barely changed from July, the median sales price was up sharply, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development report. So the news adds to other recent signs, including Tuesday's report about higher home prices in major cities, of a recovering housing sector.

According to the report, new homes sold at an annual rate of 373,000 last month — vs. 374,000 in July. The median sales price, though, was $256,900. That was up 11.2 percent from the month before.

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott

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