The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the U.S. Department of Commerce.



NEW RESIDENTIAL SALES IN DECEMBER 2005

Sales of new one-family houses in December 2005 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,269,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the

Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 2.9 percent (±11.8%)* above the revised November rate of 1,233,000 and is 1.8 percent (±17.1%)* above the December 2004 estimate of 1,247,000. The median sales price of new houses sold in December 2005 was $221,800; the average sales price was $272,900. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of December was 516,000. This represents a supply of 4.9 months at the current sales rate.

An estimated 1,282,000 new homes were sold in 2005. This is 6.6 percent (±5.4%) above the 2004 figure of 1,203,000.



Available at:http://www.census.gov/const/newressales.pdf