Sales of new US one-family houses in December 2006 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,120,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 4.8 percent above the revised November rate of 1,069,000, but is 11.0 percent below the December 2005 estimate of 1,259,000.
The median sales price of new houses sold in December 2006 was $235,000; the average sales price was $290,100. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of December was 537,000. This represents a supply of 5.9 months at the current sales rate.
An estimated 1,061,000 new homes were sold in 2006. This is 17.3 percent below the 2005 figure of 1,283,000.
Durable Goods
New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December increased $6.7 billion or 3.1 percent to $221.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was the fourth increase in the last five months and followed a 2.2 percent November increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.3 percent.
Excluding defense, new orders increased 3.9 percent. Transportation equipment, up four of the last five months, had the largest increase, $3.2 billion or 4.8 percent to $69.9 billion. This was due to nondefense aircraft and parts, which increased $3.8 billion.
Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, up four of the last five months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.8 percent to $211.6 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent November increase.
Transportation equipment, up four of the last five months, had the largest increase, $1.9 billion or 3.3 percent to $57.9 billion.
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up nineteen of the last twenty months, increased $15.5 billion or 2.3 percent to $694.9 billion.
This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.8 percent November increase.
Transportation equipment, up nineteen of the last twenty months, had the largest increase, $12.0 billion or 3.2 percent to $381.4 billion.
