The Federal Reserve’s decision Wednesday to lower its key interest rate by half a percentage point brought some clarity to the country’s top financial decision-makers, sending stocks surging to all-time highs and finally quieting the “will they,

Sales of previously owned homes in the United States fell sharply in August, despite mortgage rates plummeting that month. But much more housing demand will likely be unleashed onto the market after the Federal Reserve finally cut interest rates this week for the first time in four years — and signaled more rate cuts by year’s end.