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WASHINGTON — Retail sales grew in July for the first time in three months but largely due to a rise in gasoline prices, the government said Friday in a series of reports that added up to a picture of sluggish economic growth.

Sales rose 0.4 percent last month and sales excluding autos climbed 0.2 percent, the Commerce Department said. Retail strength was concentrated in higher sales of autos and gasoline. Most other retail categories saw their sales fall.

Meanwhile consumer prices rose in July by 0.3 percent – the biggest jump in nearly a year — as energy costs increased for the first time in five months, the Labor Department said. On an annual basis consumer prices are up a mild 1.2 percent, a bit higher than the 1.1 percent pace last month.

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FORTUNE — Consumers drive more than two-thirds of the nation’s economy, and with growth hard to spot these days, it’s easy to place the blame on stingy spenders. But that’s a mistake.

Personal spending, in fact, has kept pace with the economy, accounting for a steady 70% of GDP before the recession, during the depths of the crisis, and into today’s slow recovery. In fact, consumption relative to GDP rose slightly to 71% during the last two quarters of 2009 amid huge government spending programs — such as the promotion of home and car sales — to stimulate the economy. It has flattened out since.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The Obama administration is making $3 billion in additional funds available to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure.

One part of the plan, announced Wednesday, includes a new $1 billion program that will offer loans to unemployed borrowers at risk of losing their homes. The loans, which will be dispersed through nonprofit and housing agencies, will carry 0% interest and be good for a maximum of $50,000 for up to two years.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The housing bust has made owning a home a lot more affordable — but in some places, prices are extraordinary; you can buy a nice condo for less than the cost of a new family car.

Some cities have dozens of attractive condominium listings selling for $50,000 or $25,000. There are some selling for less than a new Toyota Corolla. And these are not derelict hovels in crime-ridden communities: These homes are often in move-in condition and located in nice neighborhoods.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Slick TV commercials and online ads tell delinquent borrowers that they can save their homes by filing for personal bankruptcy. But is it true — or just too good to be true?
Bankruptcy can bring foreclosure proceedings to a halt, end harassment from debt collectors, and give borrowers time to make up missed payments and reorganize their finances. In some cases, bankruptcy can also help mortgage borrowers save their homes permanently.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — A surge in Fourth of July travel is expected this weekend compared to last year’s slump, driven by signs of life in the economy, according to the motorist group AAA. But the impact of the Gulf oil spill on coastal tourism in the region is unclear.

AAA projects that 34.9 million Americans will travel 100 miles or more during the Independence Day weekend, a jump of 17.1% from last year’s 29.8 million travelers.

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LOS ANGELES (CNNMoney.com ) — In a construction van winding through Los Angeles’ crowded streets one hot spring morning, 25-year old Tim Morris laid bare his contribution to changing America’s dirty, fossil fuel-based economy.

“I’d like to see America and the world become sustainable,” said Morris, a transplant from Flint, Mich., who’s been in L.A. just a little over four months. “Solar is the biggest difference I can make with what’s on the

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WASHINGTON – Americans showed far less appetite to buy new homes last month after the government stopped offering a homebuyer tax credit. The news signaled a renewed housing slump that threatens the broader economy.

Sales of new homes fell in May to their lowest level on record, plunging 33 percent from the month before

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WASHINGTON – Fewer construction workers will be needed. Don’t expect as many interior designers or advertising copywriters, either. Retailers will get by with leaner staffs.

The economy is strengthening. But millions of jobs lost in the recession could be gone for good.

And unlike in past recessions, jobs in the beleaguered manufacturing sector aren’t the only ones likely lost forever. What sets the Great Recession apart is the variety of jobs that may not return.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Despite rising cable and satellite TV prices and easy access to streaming TV and movies on the Internet, few consumers have cut the cord. But that looks like it’s about to change.

One in eight consumers will eliminate or scale back their cable, satellite or other pay-TV service this year, according to a new study released this week by Yankee Group.

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WASHINGTON – Sales of new homes surged 27 percent last month, bouncing off the previous month’s record low and blowing past expectations as government incentives and better weather boosted sales.

The Commerce Department said Friday that new-home sales rose in March to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 411,000. It was the strongest month since last July and the biggest monthly increase in 47 years.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — What the heck happened to the FHA’s loans in Florida?

The state dominates the list of troubled metro areas for Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages. In fact, 16 of the top 25 locales with the highest default rates are in Florida, as of December, with tiny Punta Gorda on the Gulf Coast leading at 22.7%.