NAHB: Number of improving markets explodes past 200 in December

The number of housing markets showing improvement, as identified by the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index, reached unprecedented levels in December, swelling to a total of 201 markets across the country.

The record-setting number included 84 metros making their debut on the list; at the same time, only eight fell off, resulting in a net gain of 76. With the new additions, 44 states plus the District of Columbia are now represented on the IMI.

The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months.

"This fourth consecutive month of expansion in the IMI, coupled with the fact that well over half of all metro areas are now represented on the list, is in keeping with the upward trends that we've been seeing all year in terms of housing starts and sales, builder confidence and other measures," noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "In general, we expect the overall housing recovery to continue expanding in 2013. However, that is absent a major policy change of the kind that some policymakers have been discussing with regard to the mortgage interest deduction."

New additions to the index include:

Alabama
Decatur
Dothan
Florence
Montgomery
Arkansas
Fort Smith
Arizona
Flagstaff
California
Bakersfield
Fresno
Redding
Riverside
San Francisco
San Jose
San Luis Obispo
Stockton
Vallejo
Colorado
Denver
Grand Junction
Pueblo
Connecticut
Bridgeport
Delaware
Dover
Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Orlando
Georgia
Athens
Atlanta
Iowa
Davenport
Dubuque
Waterloo
Idaho
Coeur d’Alene
Idaho Falls
Illinois
Bloomington
Indiana
Indianapolis
Lafayette
Terre Haute
Kentucky
Bowling Green
Lexington
Louisiana
Baton Rouge
Maryland
Baltimore
Hagerstown
Michigan
Ann Arbor
Flint
Minnesota
Minneapolis
Rochester
Missouri
Springfield
St. Louis
Mississippis
Pascagoula
Montana
Billings
North Carolina
Durham
Goldsboro
Greensboro
Greenville
Nevada
Las Vegas
New York
Buffalo
Glens Falls
Ithaca
Rochester
Ohio
Akron
Lima
Toledo
Oregon
Portland
Pennsylvania
Erie
Harrisburg
Philadelphia
Rhode Island
Providence
South Carolina
Columbia
Florence
Spartanburg
Tennessee
Memphis
Texas
Brownsville
College Station
Killeen
Texarkana
Utah
Ogden
Virginia
Charlottesville
Danville
Roanoke
Virginia Beach
Winchester
Washington
Longview
Seattle
Spokane
Yakima
Wisconsin
Green Bay
Janesville