"The most recent housing affordability data should be encouraging to many prospective home buyers, because it shows that home ownership remains within reach of median-income consumers even as most local markets appear to be on a recovery path," says NAHB Chairman Rick Judson.

Nearly 75% of homes sold between Oct 2012 and December 2012 were to families earning a median income of $65,000 at a median price of $188,000.

"It is noteworthy that affordability remains historically high thanks to favorable mortgage rates even as national home price indexes show some rise in values," says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. 

The exterior limits of this trend are found in Utah, with 94% of home sales in the affordable range, and San Fran, California with only 28% of home sales in this same category.

Source: National Association of Home Builders

 ATHOMEINBOZEMAN