U.S. Dec. new home sales down 2.2% to 307,000

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
U.S. new home sales fell unexpectedly in December, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday
The 2.2% decrease in new-home sales to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 307,000 was well below the 325,000 pace expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch
For all of 2011, sales of new homes fell 6.2% to a record low 302,000
In December, the supply of new homes fell 0.1% to 157,000
The supply in relation to sales rose slightly to 6.1 months in December from 6.0 months in November. Median sales prices have fallen 12.8% in the past year to $210,300
This is the lowest level since October 2010