The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports August sales of new, single-family homes rose 7.9 percent to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 421,000 units, offsetting a slight decline in July resulting from a rise in mortgage rates. Says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe, “We are only about halfway back to what would be considered a sustainable level of activity in a normal economy, and the ongoing housing recovery continues to be slowed by consumers’ concerns about interest rates, as well as weak job growth and uncertainty about what’s happening in Washington.” As MHProNews has learned, regionally new home sales in the South increased 15.3 percent, 19.6 percent in the Midwest, and 8.8 percent in the Northeast. Only the West experienced a decline, falling 14.6 percent.

(Photo credit: Reuters–new home sold)