Some recent positive signs for homebuyers and sellers:
• Existing-home sales rose 0.4 percent in January to reach the highest annual rate in six months, according to the National Association of Realtors.
• The Commerce Department reported that the economy grew 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, which was better than expected.
• Employers add a better-than-expected 242,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent
