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Measuring Home Price Growth

U.S. home prices rose by 0.1% in May month over month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) latest seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). Year over year, home prices rose 5% in May,  according to data calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or guaranteed by, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly house price changes from April 2019 to May 2019 ranged from -1.0% in the East South Central division to +0.5% in the South Atlantic division. The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +3.6% in the West South Central division to +6.7% in the Mountain division.

According to Redfin, home-sale prices increased year-over-year by 3.4% in June to an average of $321,000, which is the third-consecutive month of growth. The report states that the growth rate of home prices was similar to May’s rate, but down 5.5% year-over-year increases in June 2018. 

Redfin reveals that just six of the 85 largest metros tracked by Redfin saw annual declines in sale prices. San Jose, California, was the biggest market to see decreases, with home prices falling 4.9% from 2018.

Other areas that saw decreases were Oxnard, California (-4.8%), Oakland, California (-2%), Seattle, Washington (-0.5%), Lake County, Illinois (0.1%), and Los Angeles, California (-0.1%).

“As national home price growth stabilizes, we’re continuing to see supply and demand dynamics play out differently in affordable inland markets than in expensive coastal markets,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “In places like Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Cleveland (Ohio), where home prices are growing by double digits and buyers are rate-and price-sensitive, falling mortgage interest rates make buying a home this summer increasingly attractive. But without a commensurate increase in the number of homes for sale, some of the most affordable markets are driving nationwide home prices up. Meanwhile, expensive markets like the Bay Area and Seattle are still feeling a chill with falling prices and many more homes for sale than there were a year ago. Unlike their inland counterparts, buyers in these once-hot West Coast markets are less likely to feel the urgency to buy while rates are low and before prices rise more."

About Author: Seth Welborn

Seth Welborn is a Harding University graduate with a degree in English and a minor in writing. He is a contributing writer for MReport. An East Texas Native, he has studied abroad in Athens, Greece and works part-time as a photographer.
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