There’s optimism aplenty in the housing market, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. A monthly survey of real-estate agents across the country by Credit Suisse Securities LLC found “solid demand” for homes in the early spring. And last month saw home sales gains in cities across the U.S.
On Friday, the Atlanta Board of Realtors reported 3,993 finalized home sales in March, up 13.8% from a year earlier. The San Antonio Board of Realtors reported a 17% sales gain in that span, and the Realtor association in Washington, D.C., disclosed a 5.7% gain in sales of single-family homes.
Those reports came after the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors on Thursday announced 3,907 closed home sales in March, up 21% from a year earlier. Several other cities, including Houston, Seattle and Jacksonville, Fla., earlier this week posted big March gains, stoking optimism among Realtors, home builders and economists for a robust spring season.
Buyers are emboldened by a year of strong job growth, generally improving personal credit and low interest rates that might not last much longer.
