NAHB Lists 80 Housing Markets as Improving

Washington, DC, Aug. 6, 2012 -- A total of 80 metropolitan statistical areas across 32 states and the District of Columbia were listed as improving housing markets on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index for August.

This included 75 markets that retained their places on the list along with five new ones, while nine areas fell from the list due primarily to slight movements in house prices.

“The list of improving housing markets in August includes metros across every region of the country, all of which have distinctly different characteristics in terms of their economic and employment bases as well as other factors,” noted Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

“One thing that most markets have in common, however, is the tight lending environment for both builders and buyers that continues to drag on their positive momentum.”

The strong core of metros showing up on the improving list each month adds to the growing evidence that the emerging housing recovery has a solid foundation on which to build, said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.