Number Talk: Sales surge during shutdown

New single-family home sales surged 13.8% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 776,000 in June, surpassing analyst expectations and notching the strongest rate since 2007, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales were up from 682,000 in May and 726,000 in 2019, 6.9% above the numbers from last year!