Sales of previously owned houses surged 14.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5460 thousand in December of 2015, better than market expectations of 5.2 million.

Sales of single family went up 16.1 percent and those of condos grew 4.9 percent. The average price increased 1.9 percent and the months’ worth of supply fell to 3.9.

Considering full 2015, existing homes sales rose 6.5 percent to 5.26 million units, the highest since 2006. Existing Home Sales in the United States averaged 3842.52 Thousand from 1968 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 7250 Thousand in September of 2005 and a record low of 1370 Thousand in March of 1970.

Existing Home Sales in the United States is reported by the National Association of Realtors.