Americans bought homes last month at the fastest pace in nearly eleven years. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes climbed 5.6% in November. They reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of almost six million units.
The last time home sales were this strong was in December of 2006, when properties sold at an annual pace of 6.4 million. Some of the factors that are driving this boom are the strengthening economy and rise of millennials getting into the housing market.
In other real estate news, the average size of the American home is getting bigger. According to real estate company Zillow, 44% of baby boomers live in houses larger than 2,000 square feet.
As the last members of the baby-boom generation become empty nesters, demand is growing for dual-purpose homes. Boomers are looking to remodel so that their homes comfortably fit a couple, but can also accommodate children and grandchildren when they visit for extended periods.
Microsoft is partnering with Warner Brothers for the film Wonka to release a limited edition Xbox series X that looks like one of Willy Wonka's famous chocolate bars.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was back in court Tuesday to testify in an antitrust trial that accuses the company of running an illegal monopoly on its Android apps.
Ed Egilinsky, managing director and head of sales and distribution & alternatives with Direxion, joined Cheddar News to discuss how bond traders are reacting to the latest consumer price index data and how they're positioning portfolios ahead of next week's release of Nvidia's earnings. Egilinsky also discussed some of the other bigger-cap companies, including Alphabet, Amazon and Apple.