New Home Sales Rise in August by Largest Amount in 5 Months ) ?1 P I6 o* j& I
+ F7 p4 D: ^+ u2 b3 N9 t; e) ]2 @% m
" Q7 p+ c& R3 [ G% E- T9 M: h# jWASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of new homes posted the biggest increase in five months in August, raising hopes that the steep slide in the housing industry may be leveling off. " v: y% h) d3 g$ K {2 `Sales of new single-family homes increased by 4.1 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.05 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the biggest increase since an 8 percent gain in March.