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	<title>pligg - published -statistics-</title>
	<link>http://www.housebubble.org</link>
	<description>Pligg Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:51:31 MST</pubDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Home Sales Plunge.  Biggest Drop in 17 Years.]]></title>
		<link>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=Home-Sales-Plunge-Biggest-Drop-in-17-Years</link>
		<comments>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=Home-Sales-Plunge-Biggest-Drop-in-17-Years</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:51:31 MST</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>chippy</dc:creator>
		<category>statistics</category>
		<guid>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=Home-Sales-Plunge-Biggest-Drop-in-17-Years</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CNN reports: &amp;quot;Home sales saw the biggest drop in 17 years last year, according to a trade group report on the battered real estate market, but the reading also showed the the decline in home prices may have bottomed out in December.The National Association of Realtors reported that there was an 8.4 percent drop in the existing home sales in 2006, falling to 6.48 million from the record 7.08 million level in 2005. It was the largest decline since a 14.8 percent drop in 1989. 	The annual sales pace in December was even slower - a 6.22 million annual rate, down 7.9 percent from a year earlier, and off 0.8 percent from the November sales pace. The December sales were also weaker than the forecast of a 6.3 million sales pace, according to economists surveyed by Briefing.com.But the trade group reported that the median home price in December was $222,000, unchanged from a year earlier. That flat reading ended the four-month slide when median home prices were off on a year-over-year basis. Median price is the point at which half the homes sold for less money and half sold for more.Real estate hot spots and cold spotsBefore that losing streak began in August, it had been 11 years since median price had been down compared to a year earlier. The slide in prices hit a record 4.4 percent year-over-year decline in October.&amp;quot;It looks like we're moving beyond the low for the housing cycle last fall, and buyers are responding to historically low interest rates and competitive pricing by home sellers,&amp;quot; said a statement from David Lereah, the Realtors' chief economist. &amp;quot;In addition, a tightening inventory of homes on the market is supporting prices.&amp;quot;The supply of homes on the market was 3.5 million in December, down 7.9 percent from November, although that was still 23 percent above the year-earlier levels. The group estimates that inventory of homes on the market represents a 6.8-month supply, down from a 7.3-month supply in the November reading.The full-year median price also came in at $222,000, which was up 1 percent from the full-year 2005 price of a typical home.&amp;quot; &nbsp;&#187;&nbsp;<a href='http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/25/news/economy/home_sales/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote'>original news</a>]]></description>
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	<item>
		<title><![CDATA["What has plummeted are sales" ... Are prices far behind?]]></title>
		<link>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=What-has-plummeted-are-sales-Are-prices-far-behind</link>
		<comments>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=What-has-plummeted-are-sales-Are-prices-far-behind</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:21:40 MST</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>god</dc:creator>
		<category>statistics</category>
		<guid>http://www.housebubble.org/story.php?title=What-has-plummeted-are-sales-Are-prices-far-behind</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[WESTFIELD - New home construction for 2006 more than halved the 100-home- a-year average seen here for more than a half-century.The Building Department issued 49 building permits for new single-family dwellings in 2006.Westfield, geographically one of the largest cities in the commonwealth with 47.33 square miles, has been averaging about 100 new homes a year for more than a half-century, city officials have said.Westfield housing starts haven't pushed past the 100-home mark since 2002 when 101 single-family home permits issued.Since then numbers of new homes built each year have languished in the 50s to 70s range, officials said.&amp;quot;Looking ahead in '07, unless something dramatic happens we will be under (100) again,&amp;quot; Community Development Director James M. Boardman said yesterday.The Planning Board, Boardman said, has had very few subdivisions applications before it over the last six months, Boardman said.&amp;quot;There is no question there is still a lot of inventory left over from previous years,&amp;quot; Boardman said. &amp;quot;I think there is a sense that everything has settled down and I don't think anyone has moved into optimistic mode.&amp;quot;Boardman said, however, the city is experiencing a &amp;quot;very slight uptick&amp;quot; in the sale of existing homes.&amp;quot;Assessor James M. Pettengill told the City Council late last year that the median price of a home in the city has risen by 15 percent, from $204,000 to $233,600.&amp;quot;What has plummeted is sales,&amp;quot; Boardman said.Boardman said he is confident the city will once again stride past its 100-a-year average for single family housing starts.&amp;quot;It will take a while. It won't happen in '07,'&amp;quot; Boardman said.Other permits issued by the Building Department in 2006 include: additions, repairs and alterations, 243; new commercial buildings, 9; sheds and accessory buildings, 64; inground pools, 23; wood, coal and pellet stoves, &nbsp;&#187;&nbsp;<a href='http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1168937500198130.xml&amp;amp;coll=1'>original news</a>]]></description>
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