According to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI), Housing markets in 52 out of the approximately 350 metro areas nationwide have now returned to normal – running at 85 percent of normal activity. This is based on current permits, prices and employment data.  What this means is that the housing markets have returned to levels of activity that are pre-recessionary. Now more people are and will be buying, and building, homes.
While the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the top major metro area on the LMI, boasting a score of 1.41 – it is 41 percent better than its last normal market level. Other major metros high up on the list include Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City, Austin and Houston, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawaii, – with LMI scores that exceed previous normal levels.
This research also indicates that it is the smaller metro areas that are leading the way to a housing recovery, accounting for 43 of the top 50 markets on the current LMI. For example, Midland, Texas, has a score of 2.0 or better, and others are Bismarck, North Dakota, Casper, Wyoming, and Florence, Alabama.
The Plan Collection sees increases in interest from home builders shopping for house plans online based on sales and also the number of people who are signing up for the company’s newsletter. Today, post-recession trends that are of interest to readers today are trending topics such as smaller homes, the 21st Century chic farmhouse. Retiring baby boomers are moving out of cities and into more urban areas, and there is a greater interest in organic farming and sustainable living.
