Washington, D.C. – U.S. house prices rose 0.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from July to August, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.5 percent decline in July was revised to a 0.7 percent decline. For the 12 months ending in August, U.S. prices fell 2.4 percent. The U.S. index is 13.6 percent below its April 2007 peak.
The FHFA monthly index is calculated using purchase prices of houses backing mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. For the nine Census Divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from July to August ranged from -0.6 percent in the Mountain Division to +1.5 percent in the West South Central Division.
Monthly index values and appreciation rate estimates for recent periods are provided in the table and graphs on the following pages. Click here for complete historical data.
For detailed information concerning the monthly HPI, please see the HPI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The next release will be on Nov. 24, 2010 and will include data for September and index estimates for the third quarter.
Corinne Russell (202) 649-3032 / Stefanie Johnson (202) 649-3030