US home sales fell in March

Thursday, April 19, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans bought fewer previously owned homes in March, a reminder that the housing market remains weak.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that home sales fell 2.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.48 million. That followed a revised 4.6 million sold in February. A mild winter may have encouraged more people to buy earlier, essentially stealing sales from March.

The first three months of 2012 made up the best winter for sales in five years. The increase offers some encouragement ahead of the spring-buying season. Still, sales remain far below the 6 million per year that economists equate with healthy markets.

First-time buyers, who are critical to a housing recovery, rose to 33 percent of all purchases last month. In healthy markets, they make up at least 40 percent.

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Graceful 1 year ago

Obama has done such a great job, hasn't he? A landslide defeat looms for him in November. The question is will he actually vacate the premises by January 20th. I mean he is a big OWS admirer. He may decide to stay.

hkchas 1 year ago

Well, at least we know OBL won't cast a ballot for him.....

Graceful 1 year ago

Give credit to the SEALS for a job well done. If you think it is praise worthy for someone to get out of the way and let others do their job, I guess you'll praise anything he does even bowel movements.

hkchas 1 year ago

You find Obama responsible for everything that happens in government EXCEPT OBL ? Illogical ....

Graceful 1 year ago

As usual you are wrong. Obama is responsible for the policies he puts into place. That means spending $5 trillion dollars and achieving zilch, implementation of a totalitarian health care program, to name only two. In general, his total irresponsibility and lack of common sense.

asb 1 year ago

You must mean the stimulus that America and most other governments around the globe spent to keep their economies going after the collapse caused by unregulated greed put millions out of work and burned up trillions of investment and retirement money. And you must mean the national health care system that America, the greatest nation in history, has forstalled for a century out of greed. And as for Obama just getting out of the way of the military, that he commands, I agree, in quick operations he should and did. I wish GWB had done as much and not embarrased our nation with his aircraft carrier mission accomplished stunt and "bring it on" manure. I think Obama has shown more leadership, class and military skill in office than the former drunken Guardsman from oil country myself. And he certainly has a leg up on Money Mitt.

RobHunterJohnson 1 year ago

Grace you write so much junk, you must be on the wrong page for the last reply? Rob

FussyOno 1 year ago

"Obama has done such a great job, hasn't he?" Yes, he has. He managed to instigate a decent health care reform. Your health insurance company is now required to spend at least 80 percent of your premium (85 percent for large employer plans) directly on your care and well-being or rebate the difference to you instead of just increasing already inflated CEO salaries. Americans with pre-existing conditions can now obtain coverage through a pre-existing condition insurance plan. Now if your kid gets cancer the insurance companies can't cancel out because they don't want to pay anymore. He took out Osama Bin Laden, something the weak and oil company loving bush asministration was incompetent to do. President Barak Obama is the Commander in Chief and yes, his leadership led directly to this. He instigated a stimulus package that helped many of us including me weather an economic storm, and would have been able to do more if the haters of working people in congress hadn't so violently opposed him. He has been working to re instate fair taxes for all but the teapartiers who want to protect the interests of millionares and billionares have been working overtime to destroy progress. Even Warren Buffet said the taxes are unfair. Never forget, it was bush who started a false war and who destroyed the economy. And at least President Obama is a born again Christian and is not following a false god. Let me add I am a 54 year old white male and I fully support President Obama's second term.

asb 1 year ago

Obama the secret black muslim, out to destroy American business, enslave the populace, destroy the nation's value to the world. That is, as expected, paranoia.

spelchek 1 year ago

"He instigated a stimulus package..."
04/20/12 = 8.2% unemployment = stimulating
"re instate fair taxes" -- Explain fair. Charging producers more for producing and exempting those who do not pay taxes to begin with? What criteria are you using for fairness?

RobHunterJohnson 1 year ago

Thanks fussyono, grace is one of those Teabaggers protecting millionares! She is a lost cause, and will not respond on this page again. Rob

asb 1 year ago

The tea party is an embarrasing event in American politics. It was inevitable, but still disgusting. They will fade now, since the GOP has forsaken them for the Presidency. They'll keep winning some lesser positions by monging fear and resentment, but their run is fading.

FussyOno 1 year ago

Hey, Rob. Good to find someone on the news trib. feedback with some common sense. Got to forgive Graceful, (Graceful's gender unknown to me) probably just odeed on some Limbaugh Cheese. "Obama is no born again Christian. It is a facade to fool people into voting for him. All you have to do is look at the pastor he admired for 20 years" Wow, what a dangerous thing to judge anothers Christianity when it's written "Judge not lest you be judged". How many of us have followed Pastors who have failed/fallen while doing our best. Does that make it our fault?

asb 1 year ago

Your extended cut'n'paste of scripture actuallly re-inforces Fussy's point about your hypocrisy. And your other points are, once again, all false. I'm the agnostic here and the President doesn't come to the meetings. He has repudiated Wright and Farrakahn, supports a Palestinian State as do all western nations, has sworn full military, economic, diplomatic and spiritual support for Israeal, has supported all legitimate factions in Egypt and Lybia (while helping free them), and has been an excellent foreign policy and security leader of America. You are spreading Right Wing lies and propoganda as usual.

FussyOno 1 year ago

'It is typical of nonbelievers to only cite the part of verse that appears to support irrationality.' With this statement you have pegged me as a non believer. You have also stated that the bible passage "Judge not lest you be judged" is irrational and cannot stand alone. Indeed it can, and is further supported by:

"For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

Thanks for the complete quote. That part of your statement is true. The rest is tea party rhetoric.

JCLifer 1 year ago

This economy is crashing again. Watch out for rampant inflation when gasoline hits $5/gallon by this fall.

Obama is LOSING.

JCLifer 1 year ago

I forgot how bad our schools have gotten teaching critical thinking skills.

JCLifer 1 year ago

He is losing. Our country is slipping away...

spelchek 1 year ago

LAST time like last November 2010 last time?

asb 1 year ago

last time he ran, datechek

spelchek 1 year ago

November 2010 didn't have to be a presidential election for it to be obvious that within 2 years Mr. Obama had lost the American people. He created the 2010 losses by getting his party to sign a very unpopular piece of legislation, not to mention bail outs, deficits, and no end in sight with spending that isn't working. He's had 2 years since then to rebuild his reputation and has / is failing. Things will not get better for Democrats as long as he keeps bashing congress this election, the Obamacare is ruled unconstitutional, unemployment stays above 8%, deficit looms large with no budget from the Dems, housing sales stay low, energy prices keep going up, and the class warfare wedge gets hammered deeper by the divider in chief. So, I am not avoiding any answer, to believe the Dems are better off since the 2008 and then 2010 elections is a pipe dream and completely detached from reality.

RobHunterJohnson 1 year ago

Thanks for replying Grace. I am a believer. Tell how the Tea Party is going to deal with medicare, Social Security, and once again our MEDICAL INSURANCE. Rob

Souperstar 1 year ago

Honestly Rob, I think you answered your own question. You cited 2 gov't run programs and another the gov't already has their hands in. Now you want to jump in with both feet after the gov't has demonstrated a near complete lack of proper management of such programs? The solution is clear: less government. We don't need them, they need us taxpayers. We have to stop turning to our Federal gov't for answers.

RobHunterJohnson 1 year ago

GRACE YOU DONT HAVE AN ANSWER, THAT IS HOW THE TEA PARTY IS GOING TO DEAL WITH THESE PROGRAMS. ROB

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