A release from the US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Wednesday indicated that sales of new single-family houses in October 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 444,000.

This is 25.4 percent (±19.2 percent) above the revised September rate of 354,000 and is 21.6 percent (±15.6 percent) above the October 2012 estimate of 365,000. The median sales price of new houses sold in October 2013 was $245,800; the average sales price was $321,700. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of October was 183,000. This represents a supply of 4.9 months at the current sales rate.