Sales of new single-family homes jumped 7.6 percent in May. Prices were up from a year ago and the number of sales — a seasonally adjusted 369,000-unit annual rate — rose to a two-year high, according to a Commerce Department report released today. Get the details from Reuters.

In other news:

Property tax appeals on the rise in current housing market. More property owners in Cook and Lake counties are appealing their property tax assessments, the Chicago Tribune reports.

For sale on Chicago’s northwest side: Walt Disney’s childhood home. The two-flat home was built by Disney’s father, a carpenter, and was home to Disney, who lived there until he moved to Hollywood to work in animation, the Chicago Tribune reports.