TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- Residents might be noticing fewer "for sale" signs in many towns and cities in north Mississippi.
Tupelo realtor Jason Warren says that's a good thing.
Experts say they're already seeing an increase in sales for the nation's housing market.
One even said realtors across America had their best January sales figures in 20 years.
Makes one wonder how north Mississippi is doing.
"[Compared with] the past four years when we've had a struggling economy, this definitely seems to be probably 50 percent up for the months of January and February," Warren said.
What's causing it? National figures put new home sales up more than 14 percent, but Warren says that's not the driving force here: consumer confidence plays a big role in what Tupelo realtors are seeing.
He also says January and February are typically low-selling months, which makes the uptick even more significant.
"Usually when the holidays end, I think people are working on paying off their Christmas debt and they're thinking about getting started with the new year," Warren said. "Usually March is when our typical season begins. January, February of this year, we saw lots of activity, lots of calls coming in. Usually before the weather starts getting nice, people don't get out and around as much."
Why is this so important?
Many economists say a boost in the housing market represents an early indication the economy itself is turning around.
"Certainly if someone's feeling comfortable enough to make a large investment [like a house], then in my mind, that's certainly positive for our economy and north Mississippi," Warren said.
