Housing affordability in the United States rose to a record level during the fourth quarter of 2011, even though homebuyers continued to feel the constraints of tighter credit standards and a soft economy.
Data released Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders indicated that 75.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the fourth quarter were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,200.
That highest percentage recorded in the 20-year history of an index used to measure affordability, the builders' group said.