The New York Times
Where home prices crashed early, signs of a rebound
Hard-hit areas, such as Sacramento, Las Vegas, parts of Florida and California’s Inland Empire, appear to be among the first cities in the nation to reach the early stages of recovery, as investors and first-time buyers compete for bargain-priced foreclosures.
MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY FOR CONSUMERS
- By some indications, the market could be close to a bottom. Pending home sales – homes that are under contract, but have not yet closed – and construction spending rose in March.
- When a market reaches bottom, foreclosures usually stop piling up and banks become more willing to issue loans, confident that the collateral backing them will not continue to decrease in value.
- The first-time home buyer tax credits from the federal and state governments, coupled with favorable home prices and near record-low interest rates, led to an increase in home sales in March. Sales of existing, single-family homes rose 63.8 percent in March compared with the prior year. Monterey County reported a sales increase of 248.7 percent and the High Desert region saw sales increase 172.7 percent compared with last year, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).
- The median price for the state also increased in March, rising 2.2 percent in month-to-month comparisons. March marked the first monthly increase since August 2007, while the statewide median price has remained in the $250,000 range for the past three months.
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