Tag Archives: Home Prices

Home price appreciation continues to slow across the country, registering a 0.2 percent increase over the month of July, according to Black Knight Financial Services. The firm's home price index stands at $241,000 as of the end of July.

Home sales in August retreated annually for the fourth straight month as home prices ticked up to a six-year high, RealtyTrac revealed Thursday in its latest sales report. According to the company's data, U.S. residential properties, including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes, sold at an estimated annual rate of 4.5 million last month, down half a percent from July and 16 percent from August 2013.

Examining August activity in more than 30 markets nationwide, Redfin reported a 1.4 percent month-over-month dip in home sale prices to a median $281,000, reflecting a gain of just 5.1 percent over last year. More interesting, Redfin said, was the shift in supply and demand dynamics: Even as new listings plunged 9.3 percent—nearly triple the average July-to-August decline—numbers of customers touring homes and making offers rose, demonstrating buyers aren't backing off.

As government data points to depreciating home prices in certain areas of the country, a new survey released this week shows more than half of Americans still expect prices to increase over the next 12 months. "Housing, like the stock market, is something consumers look to as an indicator for whether things are headed in the right direction," said Greg McBride, CFA, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) monthly House Price Index picked up 0.1 percent from June to July, coming down after a revised 0.3 percent increase in June. For the 12 months ending in July, FHFA reported house prices were up 4.4 percent. As of the latest index, the national HPI is now 6.4 percent below its peak in April 2007 and is roughly in line with its July 2005 level.

Florida Realtors released Monday its data on the state's housing market in August, reporting a 4.2 percent year-over-year rise in single-family home sales to a total of 21,594. "For several months now, stability and consistency are key trends we're seeing in Florida's housing market, as the state’s jobs outlook remains steady and the economy continues to grow," said Florida Realtors' president, Sherri Meadows.

As the housing market continues to mend, analysts find the young-adult sector of the market is lagging. Some feel the lack of young first-time buyers is the main component holding the housing market back. However, this may not be the case everywhere. A burgeoning young, knowledge-based workforce is contributing to housing and overall economic growth in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, according to the latest Home Value Forecast from Pro Teck Valuation Services.

Former Goldman Sachs executive Joshua Pollard on Wednesday sent a sobering 18-page report to the White House warning of a potential nosedive in home prices that could put the country back into a recession before the ripples of the previous one settle. According to Pollard, the former head of the Goldman's housing research team, home price appreciation is outpacing income, and the United States is on the brink of a 15 percent decline in home prices over the next three years.

Home sales in August remained below last year's pace for yet another month as prices inched higher, RE/MAX reported Tuesday. The real estate company calculated an 8.2 percent drop in August transactions compared to a year ago. Compared to July, August sales were down 6.6 percent. Out of the last six months, four have seen sales climb above the previous month's pace, RE/MAX reported.

FNC, Inc.'s national Residential Price Index (RPI), a metric of prices in 100 of the nation's largest housing markets excluding REO and foreclosure sales, grew 0.6 percent month-over-month in July, slowing again from 0.8 percent in June (which in turn was down from 1.2 percent in May). The narrower 30-metro composite index saw a similar slowdown, also declining to 0.6 percent growth, while the 10-metro composite saw a half a percentage point drop to 0.4 percent.