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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 89 IN THE NEWS Strong Finish to 2014 for Texas Housing Market Caps State's Second-Best Year Ever Housing in Texas heated up in the final quarter of 2014, capping off the second-best year for the market in the state's history, according to data released by a local Realtor group. Using data from multiple listing services in markets throughout the Lone Star State, the Texas Association of Realtors reported that single-family home sales statewide totaled 66,664 in Q 4 2014, an 8.46 percent increase from the same period in 2013. "While many local Texas markets saw dips in home sales volume throughout 2014, the statewide housing market continue to grow year-over-year," said Scott Kesner, association chairman. "e fourth quarter of 2014 marked three-and-a-half years of continual home sales growth for the Lone Star State and the highest annual home sales volume since 2006—a testa- ment to the strong and enduring demand of Texas real estate." e increase marks a sharp turn from 2014's other three quarters, which generally saw 0–2 percent increases on an annual basis. "A dip in mortgage interest rates below 4 percent in the last half of 2014 created an ideal climate for this year-end surge in home sales growth," said Jim Gaines, Ph.D., economist with Texas A&M University's Real Estate Cen- ter. "However, fewer homes on the market and strong demand maintained rising home prices and shrinking months inventory." e group says the median price for a home in the state in the fourth quarter was $185,900, a 7.76 percent increase from the prior three months. e average price was up 6.99 percent, meanwhile, to $240,976. At the same time, the statewide stock of for- sale homes continued to fall, dragging months' supply to an all-time low of 3.3 months, about half the supply that Texas A&M's Real Estate Center says is a balanced market of supply and demand. Still, inventory trends are looking better than they were just a few short years ago, when quarterly drops were in the double digits. Looking ahead, Gaines says he expects home sales in the first half of this year will be similar to what the market saw last year, while prices and inventory are projected to continue moving along their current trend lines. Oklahoma RANK: 16 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 2.08% 1.89% 4.2 YEAR AGO 2.23% 2.37% 5.4 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -7.0% -20.4% -1.2 Top County ADAIR COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 3.67% 7.37% YEAR AGO 4.13% 8.11% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -11.2% -9.1% Top Core-Based Statistical Area MCALESTER, OK 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 3.23% 4.43% YEAR AGO 2.81% 4.44% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE 15.2% -0.3% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the November 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary November 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics. South Carolina RANK: 20 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 2.40% 1.66% 6.5 YEAR AGO 2.49% 2.45% 6.6 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -3.5% -32.1% -0.1 Top County DILLON COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 5.28% 5.24% YEAR AGO 4.51% 5.40% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE 17.2% -2.9% Top Core-Based Statistical Area BENNETTSVILLE, SC 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 4.53% 2.76% YEAR AGO 3.75% 3.33% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE 20.7% -17.1% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the November 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary November 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics. Tennessee RANK: 36 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 3.05% 0.85% 6.6 YEAR AGO 3.51% 1.15% 7.7 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -13.2% -26.2% -1.1 Top County HARDEMAN COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 8.48% 2.20% YEAR AGO 8.78% 2.46% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -3.4% -10.8% Top Core-Based Statistical Area LEWISBURG, TN 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 4.01% 2.04% YEAR AGO 4.63% 2.16% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -13.4% -5.3% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the November 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary November 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics. Texas RANK: 40 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 2.16% 0.70% 4.6 YEAR AGO 2.42% 0.97% 6 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -10.9% -27.8% -1.4 Top County MARION COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 1.34% 3.35% YEAR AGO 3.19% 1.65% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -58.0% 103.3% Top Core-Based Statistical Area BROWNWOOD, TX 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate NOVEMBER 2014 3.00% 1.88% YEAR AGO 3.49% 1.77% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -14.2% 6.4% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the November 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary November 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics.

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