There are many ways to measure housing market activity. You can look at it geographically and compare how one region's homes are selling compared to another's. Or you can look at it historically and compare today's numbers to the past. You can also look at it based on price range. Is the high end of the market performing differently than the market for affordable homes? Are first-time buyers more or less active than luxury buyers?
Using these different perspectives can help you breakdown what's happening in the market. For example, a recent report from an online real estate portal shows that the number of searches for homes over $1 million is rising. In fact, 10.8 percent of saved searches in January were filtered for more expensive homes. That's an increase from last year when it was at 8.5 percent. It's also the highest the site has ever recorded.
So what's happening? Well, the numbers are an indication that rising home prices and low for-sale inventory are having a larger impact on buyers in the middle and lower end of the market than they are on those seeking higher priced homes. This is no surprise, as the market for high-end homes typically rebounds faster after an economic downturn. It's also a sign that low inventory may have some buyers waiting till spring when more homes will be listed for sale.
[source]
