2012 was a turnaround year for the Twin Cities housing market, with 48, 641 sales - a 16.9 percent and the most since 2006. The median sale price of those deals was up, too, rising 11.9 percent to $167,900.

That's according to new year-end data released at a press conference Friday afternoon by the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors and the St. Paul Area Association of Realtors.

While sales and prices are still well below peak (that happened in 2004), the industry is celebrating the report as clear evidence that the housing market has hit bottom and well on its way to recovery.

We'll have a complete story in the Saturday paper, and you see the stats yourself by clicking here.