Housing market improves in December

Housing activity improved in December, with the composite HMI index climbing to 58 while the "buyer traffic" index rose to a level of 44.

This chart shows housing market activity over the past two decades. Activity as measured by the Housing Market Index (HMI) improved in December.

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December 18, 2013

Today, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released their latest Housing Market Index (HMI) showing that assessments of housing activity improved in December with the composite HMI index climbing to 58 while the "buyer traffic" index rose to a level of 44.

It's important to note that while the last few months results have suggested a pullback of sorts for home builder activity, the latest trend has been very strong and consistent with the overall recovery seen in the nation's housing markets.

 
Looking at the data, it is fairly clear that the last year of results indicate a major change in builder sentiment likely coming as a result of improvements in confidence given the notable rise in buyer traffic, reduced inventory and a more balanced monthly supply.