The U.S. Census Bureau’s Characteristics of New Housing report provides annual statistics on new privately owned residential structures, including size, price, number of bedrooms, financing, and types of construction material. The numbers offer a snapshot of the types of new homes being bought and sold in the nation’s four regions. Among the highlights of the 2011 report, the average single-family house increased in size in 2011. Last year, the average new home was 2,480 square feet, up from 2,392 square feet in 2010. Also, 39 percent of newly built single-family homes had 4 or more bedrooms and nearly half had 3 bedrooms. But despite increasing in size, the average new home sold for less last year compared to the year before. The average sales price fell to $267,900 from $272,900 in 2010. The number of new homes financed by a conventional loan rose to 62 percent last year and the percentage of FHA-insured loans fell five percent from the year before. More here.