Used cars: The average sale price of a new vehicle hit a record of just over $39,000 late last year, a figure that chased many buyers out of the market and into used vehicles, which could set a sales record. The shift to used cars, aided by millions of late-model vehicles coming off two- and three-year leases, is good for consumers, but it could be bad for automakers, with many industry analysts expecting new-vehicle sales to fall in 2020. Read the full story.
Real estate: The National Association of Realtors said this morning that its pending home sales index, which measures the numbers of purchase contracts signed, plunged 4.9% last month to 103.2. Still, lower mortgage rates mean contract signings were up 4.6% from December 2018. Read the full report.
Spicy: As WAFB-TV reports. McCormick this week announced the release of its latest product: Old Bay Hot Sauce. The company describes it as having the iconic flavor of Old Bay that you know from seafood boils but in a form that can be drizzled on anything. Read the full story.
