Washington DC - Sales of new one-family houses in October 2008 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000, according to estimates released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 5.3 percent (±15.0%)* below the revised September of 457,000 and is 40.1 percent (±9.9%) below the October 2007 estimate of 723,000.

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Washington DC -November 26- New orders for manufactured durable goods in October decreased $12.7 billion or 6.2 percent to $193.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was the largest percent decrease in new orders since October 2006 and followed two consecutive monthly decreases including a 0.2 percent September decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 4.4 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 4.6 percent.

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Washington DC -November 25- Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — decreased at an annual rate of 0.5 percent in the third quarter of 2008, (that is, from the second quarter to the third quarter), according to preliminary estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the second quarter, real GDP increased 2.8 percent.

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Washington DC -November 25- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index™, which had declined to an all-time low in October, improved moderately in November. The Index now stands at 44.9 (1985=100), up from 38.8 in October. The Present Situation Index decreased to 42.2 from 43.5 last month. The Expectations Index increased to 46.7 from 35.7 in October.

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Washington, DC -November 23- The U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and the FDIC have announced an agreement with Citigroup which provides protection against unusually large losses on an asset pool.

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Washington DC -November 19– The American Farm Bureau Federation today continued its push for passage of the Colombia and Panama Trade Promotion Agreements.  In a letter, AFBF President Bob Stallman urged House and Senate leadership to schedule a vote on the agreements during the lame duck session.

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SOURCE: American Farm Bureau Federation 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 - Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes plunged in November as worsening problems in the financial markets, job market weakness and overwhelming uncertainty about the economy continued to negatively impact consumer behavior, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today.

The HMI sank five points to 9, the lowest level recorded since the series was created in January of 1985.

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SOURCE: National Association of Homebuilders