The purchase and sale of homes increased by 18.1% in January compared to the same month in 2016, to 38,457 operations, its highest figure since January 2013, when almost 40,000 transactions of this nature were made.
This increase, which has been linked twelve consecutive months of year-on-year increases, is higher than the one experienced in December 2016, month in which these operations increased by 6.8% year-on-year.
Transactions on used homes increased 20.7% in relation to January 2016, to 31,628 operations, while the purchase and sale of new homes increased by 7.2% year-on-year to 6,829 transactions.
In monthly terms (January 2017 to December 2016), home purchase increased 30%, its biggest pickup in this month since 2014.
Last January, the largest number of housing sales per 100,000 inhabitants occurred in Baleares (150), Comunidad Valenciana (134) and La Rioja (129).
Andalusia was the region with the highest number of home operations in the first month of the year, with 6,776 sales, followed by Catalonia (6,752), Madrid (5,818) and Comunidad Valenciana (5,248).
The communities with the lowest number of housing sales were La Rioja (318), Navarra (512) and Cantabria (515).
If the reopening of the credit line is maintained and the current context of low interest rates, the real estate sector will consolidate its reactivation and if we can finally talk about recovery. But we are still recovering some of the lost ground during the crisis and in some areas with large stock and low demand for housing this improvement will not yet be noticed in 2017.
Recovery will be slow and moderate and will not be noticed in all areas alike. But it will be constant throughout 2017 if it accompanies financing and improves employment.