January New Home Sales Lower but Still Solid as Interest Rates Rise

New home sales declined in January on rising interest rates but still posted a steady reading as demand remains strong. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in January fell 4.5% to an 801,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a sharp upwardly revised reading in December, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.