More cities were added to this month’s Improving Markets Index, which was created earlier this year by the National Association of Home Builders and First American. The index identifies cities that are showing improvement in housing permits, employment, and home prices for at least six consecutive months.

The latest index results is “very much in keeping with the latest government housing data and our own builder surveys, which have shown modest signs of improvement in certain individual markets where employment is gaining and distressed properties are not as numerous,” NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe said in a statement. “These gradual improvements are now becoming evident not just in small, energy-producing metros that have previously dominated the [index], but also in several larger markets and areas with more diverse economies.”

The 20 new metro areas added to this month’s list are:

  • Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Athens, Ga.
  • Boulder, Col
  • Burlington, Vt.
  • Canton, Ohio
  • Charleston, W.V.
  • Danville, Va.
  • Fort Wayne, Ind.
  • Grand Forks, N.D.
  • Jackson, Miss.
  • Kingsport, Tenn.
  • Laredo, Texas
  • Lincoln, Neb.
  • Muncie, Ind.
  • Muskegon, Mich.
  • San Jose, Calif.
  • Scranton, Pa.
  • Toledo, Ohio
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Winchester, Va.

Meanwhile, nine markets were taken off the list in December — mostly due to softening in housing prices. The nine markets removed from the list in December are: Alexandria, La.; Fairbanks, Alaska; Hinesville, Ga.; Houma, La.; Jonesboro, Ark.; Lima, Ohio; Pine Bluff, Ark.; Sumter, S.C.; and Waco, Texas.

 

The author of this article is: realtormag.realtor.org

 See the original post at: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2011/12/07/20-cities-added-improving-housing-market-list

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