WASHINGTON (National Association of Home Builders) – Housing affordability is at an all-time high, although credit restrictions make buying difficult.
For the second consecutive quarter, more families earning the national median income can afford to buy a home. According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), 77.5 percent of all new and existing homes sold during the first quarter were affordable to families earning $65,000, the U.S. median income. This beats the previous record set in fourth quarter 2011.
The most affordable housing market in Texas was Wichita Falls, ranked 54th nationally. There, 88.6 percent of homes sold were affordable to those earning the area’s median income of $55,800.
The most affordable large U.S. market was Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind., where 95.8 percent of homes sold were affordable to median income households. New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. remains the least affordable market, with only 31.5 percent of homes sold in the first quarter affordable to median income households.
