According to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Leading Markets Index (LMI), the national housing market is within a 5% range of complete housing recovery compared to what is considered a “normal” housing market which the United States last saw in 2006.  Out of a score of one, the latest LMI scored a .95 nationwide in housing recovery.

How is the LMI Calculated?

The way that the LMI makes a numeric determination is taking statistics of single-family housing permits, employment, and home prices calculated for the entire country and specifically 337 local markets.  Single-family home permits rose from .48 to .49, new home prices increased from 1.38 to 1.40, and employment rose from .96 to .97.  The really good news is that approximately 35% of the 337 markets have a score that exactly equaled 1 or is greater than 1.

The number of markets which increased overall in single-family home permits in a year-over-year comparison rose by almost 65%. Employment numbers increased 71%.  Three hundred twenty-four markets out of the 337 are now showing new home pricing that is considered normal according to the last data recorded in a normal real estate market in 2006.

For communities located in Louisiana, almost all counties accounted for were located in the top 20% of housing rankings.  Approximately 4 areas were in the top 60% – 80% rankings relative to normal housing numbers for new home permits, employment and new home pricing.  Louisiana overall experienced a far softer impact of the slowdown in housing market numbers of the Recession than other states in the United States.  Baton Rouge consistently ranks in the top 10 cities in the United States with the best recovery numbers to date.

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