New home sales declined 0.3% in October, according to a government report released Wednesday. Despite the monthly drop, sales were still up 17% from a year earlier.

New houses in Houston and the rest of the country sold at an annual rate of 368,000 in the month, down from 369,000 in September, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The September sales were revised downward from 389,000.

October sales fell far below expectations from economists, who had forethey would rise to 388,000, according to Briefing.com.

New home sales are an important component of the nation's overall economic activity, because they create construction jobs and spur the purchases of appliances, furnishings and other home goods.

Despite October's decline, the new home market has been showing steady signs of improvement. The market has increased more than 20% so far this year. The pace of home building has also gone up, rising to its highest level in more than four years in October, according to a separate government report last week.

There has been a resurgence in the housing market in recent months, helped by a variety of factors coming together. Mortgage rates are at record lows, held down by the Federal Reserve's plan to buy back $40 billion in mortgages to jump start the economy, making homes more affordable.

Prices of homes in The Woodlands and the U.S. posted the biggest percentage gain in more than two years in the third quarter, attracting buyers who were waiting for prices to bottom out. Foreclosure rates are also at a five-year low, while improvements in the job market have given homebuyers hope.

Paul Ashworth, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics said that while Wednesday's report is disappointing, the housing markets will continue to show signs of a recovery.

For more information about homes for sale in The Woodlands, please call realtor Luis Tamborrel at (832) 482-9367.

Hablamos Español y contamos también con información sobre casas en Woodlands, comuníquese al al 55.4991.4933 o Nextel 72*13*9814 desde México.

Source: cnn.com