?EUR??,,????'??While today?EUR??,,????'???s numbers are weaker than expected, they?EUR??,,????'???re generally in line with what builders have been saying in our surveys,?EUR??,,????'?? said National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) President David Pressly. ?EUR??,,????'??Demand seems to be tapering off as mortgage rates inch up and it becomes more challenging to afford to buy a home. We believe the market is transitioning to a cooler but still-healthy level.?EUR??,,????'??

The median sales price of new houses sold in February 2006 was $230,400; the average sales price was $296,700. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of February was 548,000. This represents a supply of 6.3 months at the current sales rate.

The inventory of unsold homes rose to 548,000 units in February, which is a 6.3-month supply at the current sales pace. This was the highest month?EUR??,,????'???s supply number since January of 1996.

?EUR??,,????'??One factor in the inventory situation is the substantial housing starts activity that took place in the January ?EUR??,,????'??? February period as builders took advantage of unseasonably warm weather to get a jump on production schedules,?EUR??,,????'?? NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders said. ?EUR??,,????'??That months supply number will most likely come down as housing starts taper off and if the sales pace picks up ?EUR??,,????'??? as we expect it to.?EUR??,,????'??