New Home Sales Up MoM In August

New home sales rose in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000, up 28.8% from July’s revised rate but down 0.1% YOY, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 461,000, representing a supply of 8.1 months at the current sales rate. The median sales price of a new home was $436,800, while the average sales price was $521,800. The data comes on the heels of a surprise increase in mortgage applications last week, despite rates rising to their highest point since October 2008. “As with the swings in rates and other uncertainties around the housing…