WCI shows housing recovery

Most Southwest Florida-based homebuilders are privately held, so it's hard to judge the pace of the recovery from anecdotal evidence or permitting departments.

So you might consider Florida-focused WCI Communities as a bellwether of sorts.

The Bonita Springs-based development and homebuilding company started trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange last year, revealing its finances and giving observers insights into the region's housing market.

When it shared its annual report recently, WCI confirmed what many Florida builders have been saying: Home sales are rebounding strongly and they're boosting prices.

In 2013 compared with the prior year, WCI reported the number of new orders for homes rose 17% and the average selling price for new orders jumped 12.5% to $458,000.

Clearly, WCI has positioned itself as a luxury homebuilder. But it's always a good sign when wealthy people are spending money, especially in Florida.