Experts report several signs that indicate the U.S. economy is on its way to a healthy recovery and that things will be on track soon enough. There are promising signs in retail, housing, the auto sector, and even manufacturing. Several leading employment agencies have actually reported a significant increase in job postings and a growth in most industries. Many Americans have had their hopes raised before about the economy finally picking up only to be disappointed by reality. But, now, several reports indicate that 2012 will be a much better year for the U.S. economy.
Houses and cars are big purchases for most Americans and are a big indicator of where the economy is headed. By the end of 2011 real estate saw an increase in activity and home builders were signing more and more contracts. In fact, a report by KB Homes notes there was a 38% increase in fourth-quarter orders. This alone indicates there is enough demand to increase prices. Lennar reported a 21% increase in orders. So, while prices are still weak in general, there are some healthy communities where prices are stabilizing. When it comes to cars, Ford saw a 6.5% increase in sales and the overall sales of cars and trucks rose 11.2% over the past year.
