Housing Recovery Officially in Full Swing, Data Suggests

There have been numerous signs of a general recovery in the housing market after the significant downturn of a few years ago, but data suggests that a full recuperation is now underway and should continue throughout the year.

There should be an appreciable improvement in property values across the top 100 metro areas nationwide in the 12-month period ending Dec. 1, 2013, according to new data from Veros Real Estate Solutions.

In all, it's believed that these regions will see a total 1.2 percent increase in prices during that time, led by a massive improvement for the area around Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale, Ariz. That area alone could see an increase of 10.5 percent, the first time the company has forecast a double-digit improvement since 2006, the report said. That was followed closely by a 9.1 percent jump in prices in Midland, Texas.

In all, about two-thirds of all 100 major metro areas will either see prices hold steady or rise in 2013, the report said. Further, many of the areas currently projected to see declines will only see modest ones, usually in the range of 2 and 3 percent. In fact, the highest projected decline in property values will be around Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Middletown, N.Y., where the drop is expected to be about 3.1 percent. All other declines are believed to be of less than 3 percent.

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That trend, coupled with others seen in recent months across the industry, will likely be a boon to sales nationwide, and that in turn could spur further economic recovery, the report said.

"Great affordability and low interest rates are also causing significant demand," said Eric Fox, vice president of statistical and economic modeling at Veros. "The low supply and high demand, in conjunction with the Phoenix area's lower unemployment rate of 6.8 percent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 7.9 percent, sets the stage for it to be 2013′s top performing market."

Home loan interest rates were below 4 percent for all but one week in 2012, and thanks to the Federal Reserve Board's commitment to qualitative easing, it's believed that rates will remain in that neighborhood for at least the next year or two. That, in turn, could entice more borrowers to seek out new home loans and buy more property as the economy continues to improve.

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