New Home Sales Rise in August by Largest Amount in 5 Months - E; s; p1 M/ r* E
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2 c; Y4 a" W$ t9 U+ nWASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of new homes posted the biggest increase in five months in August, raising hopes that the steep slide in the housing industry may be leveling off. 5 D/ f3 Z$ ~# xSales of new single-family homes increased by 4.1 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.05 million units, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the biggest increase since an 8 percent gain in March.