Without question, 2012 was the long hoped-for turnaround year for the housing market. The RE/MAX National Housing Report shows a broad recovery across the country, with both home sales and prices rising almost every month of the year. For December, the number of home sales was up 3.8% and the median price of those homes rose 7.6%. Throughout the year, a favorable combination of record low interest rates, affordable prices and a shrinking inventory created opportunities that many consumers could not resist. The inventory of homes for sale fell each month of the year, ending the year at a level 29.1% below the inventory of December 2011. A reduced inventory helped home prices rise, but also made it difficult for many buyers to find the home of their dreams. The New Year should see the same trends continue.
“We can finally say that the worst of the housing crisis is now behind us, as 2012 saw dramatic increases in both sales and prices, with home buyers and sellers coming back to the market in numbers we’ve been anticipating for years,” said Margaret Kelly, CEO of RE/MAX, LLC. “The market started 2012 with a great surge, and we’re hoping that 2013 will be even stronger. We’re
not completely out of the woods, but we’re well on the way to a solid and sustainable recovery.”
December home sales followed a traditional holiday pattern, dropping lower than the November rate, this year by 4.9%. However, sales were markedly better than December 2011 by 3.8%. This is the eighteenth month in a row with sales higher than the same month in the previous year. Of the 52 metro areas surveyed in the December RE/MAX National Housing Report, 34 reported higher
sales than December 2011. Sixteen of those metropolitan areas reported double digit gains over last December including: Raleigh-Durham, NC +31.3%, Albuquerque, NM +29.6%, Providence, RI +24.5%, Chicago, Il +21.1%, Hartford, CT +19.9% and Charlotte, NC +16.7%.
The Full Rpoert: RE/MAX National Housing Report
