Washington, D.C. Housing Inventory Down

Is it a sign of a healthy housing market when homeowners choose to rent out their houses rather than sell because they can't get what they paid for them just five years ago?

According to a recent Washington Postarticle, it is. The Post's Dina ElBoghdady tells us that inventory is down, and prices are up in the D.C. area, and this is a sign of a recovering market.

The number of available houses for sale in D.C. is down from a year ago in nearly all the region's communities, and houses are spending less time on the market. In many cases, the period that listings are on the market before they sell is near 1999 rates.