{"id":6340,"date":"2014-04-25T12:39:53","date_gmt":"2014-04-25T12:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/?p=6340"},"modified":"2014-04-25T12:39:53","modified_gmt":"2014-04-25T12:39:53","slug":"housing-markets-improve-majority-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/housing-markets-improve-majority-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Housing Markets Improve in Majority of States"},"content":{"rendered":"

Housing Markets Improve in Majority of States<\/h2>\n
\"Housing<\/a>

Housing Markets Improve in Majority of States. Image courtesy of twobee \/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/p><\/div>\n

More than half of U.S. states \u2014 as well as more than half of the top 50 metros in the country \u2014 saw their housing markets improve in February, according to Freddie Mac’s Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi), which measures the stability of the nation’s housing markets.<\/p>\n

Still, the overall housing market is recovering at a slightly slower pace compared to January. The national MiMi value in February stood at -3.11 points, which indicates a weak housing market. But it’s an improvement by 0.67 points year-over-year. The nation’s all-time MiMi low of -4.49 was in November 2010, a point when the housing market was at its weakest, according to the index.<\/p>\n

“Despite a slowdown over the winter months, the housing market continues to show improvement in most states, although at a somewhat slower pace,\u201d says Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft. \u201cAnd while not all the MiMi indicators are trending in a better direction \u2014 in particular, home-purchase applications have weakened in many areas \u2014 gains in local employment and loan performance have really helped many markets across the country, especially those that were hardest hit. Outside of these areas, we also are seeing positive improvement from the Carolinas and Tennessee as their local unemployment rates fall further.”<\/p>\n

Eleven of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, are in their stable range of housing activity, according to the index. The top five most stable states are: North Dakota, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Louisiana.<\/p>\n

Four of the 50 metro areas have housing markets in the stable range: San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, and Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n

According to the index, the five most-improved states month-over-month in February were:<\/p>\n