Home Prices Hit Record Highs Nationally and in Seven Cities

Home Prices Hit Record Highs Nationally and in Seven Cities

Even with interest rates at a two-decade high and mortgage applications and existing home sales slipping back to 20th-century levels, home prices continue to rise. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller indices increased for the seventh consecutive month while the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reports a ninth straight gain in its Housing Price Index (HMI). Case-Shiller’s U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, which covers all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 2.6 percent annual change in August, up from 1.0 percent in the previous month. The 10-City Composite showed an increase of 3.0 percent, compared to 1.0 percent in July and the 20-City Composite annual gain rose from 2.0 percent to 2.2 percent.   CoreLogic Chief Economist Dr. Selma Hepp says any respite from sur