There were 672 sales in the Albuquerque metro market, well above the
542 sales in February and 596 sales in March of last year, the Greater
Albuquerque Association of Realtors reports.

Sales of previously occupied homes rose strongly in the Albuquerque metro area in March even as they dipped cross the rest of the country.

The picks: Lowe’s (LOW, Fortune 500), operator of 1,745 home-improvement stores around the country, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of this upsurge in activity. Recently reported sales to professional contractors were particularly strong.