The restoration of the single-family rural housing program that would guarantee home loans for rural buyers was passed by the Senate today and is on its way to President Obama.

The National Association of Realtors® has vigorously lobbied to restore funding for the rural program since last March, and hailed this development as a great victory for rural home buyers.

Sales of new single-family houses in June 2010 rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 330,000, up from historic lows in May, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The growth beat analyst expectations of 310,000 units in June after the rate plummeted to 300,000 in May. The June rate fell toward the larger end of economists' consensus range of 280,000 to 350,000 units.

The New York State Association of REALTORS, in partnership with the Siena Research Institute (SRI) released the first-ever quarterly New York State Consumer Real Estate Sentiment scores for the 2010 second quarter. Overall, the survey found New York consumers are negative about current real estate market, but optimistic about the future. They feel that it is a very good time to buy, but a poor time to sell. Selling prospects increase over the next year and buying remains positive, indicating high hopes for the future of the New York real estate market.