u s home

The former chief financial officer of a major U.S. home builder accused of committing accounting fraud five years ago is giving back roughly $1.4 million in bonuses and stock profits.

Weight levels have soared in America over the last three decades - and the average Body Mass Index is now more than 28. A BMI of more than 25 is overweight.

The pace of U.S. home foreclosures may not slow much after all. Bank of America said Monday that it plans to resume seizing more than 100,000 homes in 23 states next week.

Construction of new U.S. homes surged 10.5 percent in August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, as applications for building permits rose.

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes rebounded strongly in June from the prior month's record low, driving the number of houses on the market to its lowest level in nearly 42 years.

Construction of new homes dipped unexpectedly last month as bad weather hit much of the country.

U.S. home prices were unchanged in October, according to the widely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller indexes released on Tuesday, indicating stabilization in the hard-hit housing sector though the figures dashed hopes for a sixth straight monthly increase.

Home Depot Inc. and Lowe's Cos., the largest U.S. home-improvement chains, are stocking fewer fake Christmas trees as shoppers plan to save money by buying the real thing.

"As the economy has gotten tougher, artificial trees have become more of a discretionary purchase," Craig Menear, Home Depot's executive VP.

Oct 29 - Japan's Nikkei and other Asian share markets slide as economic optimism wanes after weak U.S. home sales.

New U.S. home sales posted a lower-than-expected 0.7% increase last month, further proof that the housing market is still struggling to gain its footing.