Confidence among U.S. builders ticked up this month to a five-year high, an indication that the housing market is slowly improving, The Associated Press reports.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose in June to 29, the highest reading since May 2007. It increased from a reading of 28 last month, which was revised down one point.
The index, which was released Monday, has risen in seven of the past nine months. Still, any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn’t reached that level since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.
In June, builders reported seeing the best sales level since April 2007, according to a separate measure in the survey. Their outlook for sales in the next six months, however, hasn’t changed from May.
The modest improvement among builders follows other signs that suggest the housing market could be slowly starting to recover.
In April, sales of both previously occupied homes and new homes rose near two-year highs. Builders are breaking ground on more homes and requesting more permits to build single-family homes later this year.
