Real Estate Journal - "What's New and What's Ahead For the U.S. Housing Market" (12-13-06)

"The National Association of Realtors predicts an improved real-estate market for existing homes in 2007, with median prices rising 1.4% this year to $222,600 and another 1% next year to $224,700, says a Wall Street Journal Online article. NAR forecasts that the number of existing-home sales will top the existing quarter's total by 4.6% by the end of the fourth quarter of 2007, the article says. However, the picture for new-home sales is not as good, with the total of new homes sold falling 17.7% this year and 9.4% in 2007, Wall Street Journal Online says."