New Residential Sales Dip in May

Sales dip in May from April but rise 13.5 percent year over year.

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Sales of new single-family houses in May 2011 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 319,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This is 2.1 percent (±10.7%)* below the revised April rate of 326,000, but is 13.5 percent (±13.6%)* above the May 2010 estimate of 281,000.

The median sales price of new houses sold in May 2011 was $222,600; the average sales price was $266,400. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of May was 166,000. This represents a supply of 6.2 months at the current sales rate.

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