Tag Archives: Home Prices

The pace at which home prices are rising should moderate later this year, according to an analysis from Capital Economics.

Nationally, asking prices increased 9.5 percent year-over-year in May, but in the ten least affordable metros, asking prices spiked 16.3 percent during the same time period.

According to Fannie Mae's May 2013 National Housing Survey, Americans expressed record confidence in price gains, with 55 percent--a survey high--saying they believe prices will go up in the next year. Only 7 percent of respondents in the survey expect prices to drop, the lowest level since the survey's inception. In addition, the average 12-month home price chance expectation was 3.9 percent, the highest level in the survey's history and a leap over April's 2.7 percent forecast.

As home prices rise across the nation with some markets charting double-digit increases, many markets still offer attractive opportunities for investors in single-family homes.

After falling in April and May, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) resumed its upward trend in June, NAHB reported. According to the association, the number of U.S. housing markets showing sustained growth in housing permits, home prices, and employment rose to 263 in June, five more than May's total. The index grew for several months to a record high of 274 in March before falling to 273 in April and then 258 in May.

The nation's economy grew at a "modest to moderate pace" from early April through the end of May, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday in its periodic Beige Book. The report cited growing strength in the housing and residential construction sector and the impact on the broader economy, with residential real estate and construction activity increasing "at a moderate to strong pace in all Districts." In addition, "overall bank lending improved modestly since the previous report."

Regional prices increased across the nation over the three-month period ending in May, according to Clear Capital's most recent home price report, but metro prices were mixed. According to Alex Villacorta, VP of research and analytics, "the diversity in price performance at the local level is mainly a function of the severity to which a particular housing market was hit during the housing crash." Consistent with this observation, Las Vegas and Phoenix continue to lead the recovery at the metro level.

CoreLogic's Home Price Index (HPI) continued to grow stronger in April, according to the company's latest HPI report.

Though Radar Logic's home price index continued to see strong gains in March, the firm says there are several signs that the trend won't last, the main one being the issue of limited supply. According to Radar Logic, the three supply constraints that will ease with rising prices are low and negative equity, seller psychology, and building activity, all of which are just temporary factors that will fade as the market continues to pick up steam. Once these "unorthodox" market forces fade, demand will also cease, the report says.

Though rising mortgage rates may act as a weight on today's increased housing affordability, a report from LendingTree shows down payment percentages continue to decline.