December's existing home sales came in hotter than expected—jumping 5.1% against estimates of just 2.2% and crushing the prior month's 0.7% (revised up from 0.5%). Looks like the housing market found some rhythm heading into year-end. But here's the catch: median sales price only inched up 0.4% year-over-year to $405,400, marking the weakest annual gain in 2.5 years. So volume's picking up, but price momentum is clearly cooling. For crypto investors tracking macro conditions, this mixed signal matters—slower price appreciation in traditional real estate could shift capital flows in interesting directions.