Tag Archives: Home Prices

With fluctuations in rental and owner markets over the past few years, it can be difficult to determine whether one is better off renting or owning. In Manhattan, renting is currently the more financially viable option, according to a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The number of homebuyers who think the price recovery will continue through 2013 has more than doubled throughout 2012.

The latest Residential Price Index (RPI) report from FNC, Inc., shows property values continued to improve in October on the national level. Home prices were up 0.4 percent in October, marking the eighth consecutive month of price increases. Year-to-date, prices have appreciated at a rate of 5.1 percent. According to FNC, October's price gains falls "in line with indications of continued expansion in economic activity and better employment rates in recent months."

Home sales in California displayed a typical seasonal decline in November and fell month-over-month, but the median price posted both monthly and yearly gains, San Diego-based DataQuick reported. About 37,481 new and existing homes were sold in November, representing a 4.5 percent decline from October, but a 14.7 percent increase from November 2011, according to DataQuick.

The desire for homeownership is still strong in young renters, according to a survey released by Trulia.

Consumer spending turned down in November after nearly a year of steady gains, according to Deloitte's Consumer Spending Index. The index, which tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future spending, comprises four components: tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages, and real home prices. The index dipped from 4.14 in October to 3.89 in November, turning around several months of improvement. The index reflects data through October but does not yet show the complete impact of superstorm Sandy.

In its latest research brief, Zillow analyzes data on actual sales prices compared to asking prices, the number of days listings spent on Zillow, and the percentage of homes on the market with a price cut. With the exception of Seattle and Washington, D.C., the top sellers' markets are all in the West, with six of the top eight located in California. Besides their geographic location, the top sellers' markets have one huge commonality: They were some of the worst-hit markets in the crash.

A recently released Home Value Forecast from Pro Teck and Collateral Analytics posits that consumer expectations of price trends can actually keep them going and even add to their momentum. Pro Teck CEO Tom O'Grady says that as home buyers perceive prices are rising or falling, they behave in a way that actually encourages the trend. For example, rising prices "also increase net worth and encourage those buyers who have been sitting on the fence to purchase," increasing turnover rates and reinforcing more price gains.

Add Freddie Mac to the list of companies forecasting great things in the 2013 housing market.

Strong positive indicators in the housing market have Capital Economics revising its predictions on growth in 2013 and beyond.