QUOTE OF THE WEEK… “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain — and most fools do.” –Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and Founding Father

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE… There were things to complain about in last week’s housing reports, but grousing about the monthly numbers could look foolish in the long run. New Home Sales were down 7.0% for December, to a 414,000 annual rate. But dips sometimes occur in winter and December was snowier and colder than usual. Many observers expect a rebound in new home sales when the weather gets back to normal. Looking longer term, sales are up 4.5% over a year ago, with builders selling 430,000 new homes in 2013, the most since 2008. The 12-month moving average for new homes sales is at its highest level since February 2009. [Read more…]