The numbers tell the story.

40 Percentage of Americans who say now is a good time to sell a home — up from 16 percent just one year ago. Sellers are in a more favorable position with confident buyers on the market.

34 Average age of active homebuyers. It’s likely that this generation, who are known as millennials or Generation Y, will force some type of shift in the housing market because they prefer an array of housing types close to shops and mass transit.

75 The percentage of families who say their health has improved since becoming home owners. They reported fewer illnesses caused by colds, flu, allergies, and stress, according to a study done in Canada.

5X The increase in likelihood that home owners with poor math skills will end up in foreclosure during the housing crisis. A recent study found that 25 percent of borrowers who scored the lowest in math skills had defaulted on their mortgage payments within five years of getting the loan.

$968M The amount Citigroup has agreed to pay Fannie Mae for millions of mortgages the bank is accused of misrepresenting to the mortgage giant. About 3.7 million mortgages are part of the resolution agreement.

more than half a century. Stories swirl around about a young woman who fell to her death at the Palm Court atrium in 1920. The mysterious Pink Lady is rumored to appear in room 545, a room located two stories above the Palm Court atrium floor. The spirit has been described as a soft pinkish haze, often experienced by guests through cold chills or a gentle touch.

On this particular trip, a colleague of mine had his own experience with the elusive spirit. From the television turning on and off, to the feeling of an embrace from something unseen, a self-proclaimed skeptic was that no more.

To this day, I don’t know if what he experienced was a visit from the legendary Pink Lady Ghost. What I do know is that my love for historical surroundings does not outweigh my apprehension of the mysterious guest of The Grove Park Inn. I am eager to return to Asheville this fall for our 2013 Convention & Expo, but I’ll surely have one special request –any room assignment other than 545. v