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That's well below the 40 percent typical in a healthy market and down from 35 percent a year ago. First-time buyers usually help drive healthy markets. They purchase from existing homeowners, who then are able to move on to larger houses. Many homes are being snapped up soon after being put on the market. Homes were on sale for a median 46 days in April, down from 62 in March. Homes are selling at a 45 percent faster pace than a year earlier. Many of the sales are going to private investors, who are buying up lower-price homes and then renting them out. Since the housing bubble burst more than six years ago, banks have imposed tighter credit conditions and required larger down payments. Those changes have left many would-be buyers unable to qualify for the super-low mortgage rates. The housing recovery helped Home Depot Inc. post a big gain in first-quarter net income, the company said Tuesday. Its quarterly profits rose 18 percent. The company also raised its full-year revenue and earnings forecasts. Rising demand and limited supply have encouraged builders to boost construction. Applications for building permits rose in April to the highest level in nearly five years. And U.S. builders started work on more new homes and apartments in April compared with the same month a year earlier.
[Associated
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