FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, file photo, a sign hangs in North Andover, Mass. U.S. sales of previously occupied homes dipped in December from November, in part because of a limited supply ... more 

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, file photo, a sign hangs in North Andover, Mass. U.S. sales of previously occupied homes dipped in December from November, in part because of a limited supply of available homes. But for all of 2012, sales rose to their highest level in five years, (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) less