Low long-term rates and a strong jobs market will continue to provide substantial support to the housing market.
I hate when people try to read too much into a monthly number. Last month did not portend that housing was going to triple and this month does not portend that housing is going to collapse.
Demand remains incredibly robust. Housing activity in the rest of the country was very robust, and the destruction in the Gulf states just wasn't enough to move the needle downward.
This is one of the many different tactics businesses are using to get in on the hot housing market. Lenders are grappling with what they can do to keep people coming to the market.
The bulls basically hoped for a number showing housing is eroding, and they didn't get it. I'm not surprised. As long as jobs are strong -- as long as interest rates are low -- this isn't going to change.