It's Great News About the State of Real Estate

According to Fannie Mae:

1. Prospective buyers say now is a good time to purchase a home increased 11 percentage points to 40 percent, marking a strong rebound from last months survey low.


2. Twenty-two percent say now is a good time to sell, up 7 percentage points from last month, and a new survey high.


3. Forty-five percent believe that home prices will go up, increasing by 3 percentage points.


4. Seventy-eight percent say they are not concerned about losing their job, a 9 percentage point month-over-month increase, and a new a new survey high.


5. Nineteen percent say their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago, also a new survey high.

Year to Date Real Estate Stats

January brings out a rejuvenated crop of buyers with a renewed enthusiasm in a new calendar year. Sales totals may still inevitably start slow in the first half of the year due to ongoing inventory concerns. Continued declines in the number of homes available for sale may push out potential buyers who simply cannot compete for homes selling at higher price points in a low number of days, especially if mortgage rates continue to increase.

• Single Family Closed Sales were up 11.8 percent to 1,740.

• Townhouse-Condo Closed Sales were up 3.5 ...