Asheville housing market unhealthy, U.S. sustainable

Nationwide performance rankings of the housing market across the U.S.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The housing market remains healthy for North Carolina with the exception of Asheville, which had a negative housing market and had a decrease in the leading index of healthy housing markets, according to the latest findings in Nationwide’s Health of Housing Markets Report. The HoHM report looked at the housing market across the country for the first quarter of 2016. They studied 400 metropolitan statistical areas and divisions across the U.S. Asheville ranked negatively at 395 out of 400, which suggests a potential housing slowdown for the remainder of 2016. Asheville also had a decreased leading index of healthy housing markets, ranking at 393. Asheville dropped two points — three was the maximum. The majority of areas across the states decreased, but only eight in the U.S. declined significantly. Although Asheville is struggling in the housing market, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C. metropolitan statistical area is healthy. The region has a positive ranking currently, and in the past year. This suggests it is unlikely there will be a downturn in the near future.