(Bloomberg) -- Home prices in 20 U.S. cities climbed more than forecast in March, driven by rising demand and a lack of inventory, according to S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data released Tuesday.
Highlights of Home Prices (March) |
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Key Takeaways
Cities posting the largest annual advances in March included Seattle, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Demand is being supported by the healthy labor market and borrowing costs that are still relatively low by historical standards. Nonetheless, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages have climbed to the highest since 2011. A persistent shortage of available properties will probably support further home-price appreciation, limiting the extent to which sales can pick up.
As property-price appreciation continues to outpace worker pay, it is proving a disadvantage for younger or first-time buyers even as it means rising homeowner equity for others.
Economist Views
“Months-supply, which combines inventory levels and sales, is currently at 3.8 months, lower than the levels of the 1990s, before the housing boom and bust,” David Blitzer, chairman of the S&P index committee, said in a statement. “Until inventories increase faster than sales, or the economy slows significantly, home prices are likely to continue rising.”
Other Details
- All 20 cities in the index showed year-over-year gains, led by a 13 percent increase in Seattle, a 12.4 percent advance in Las Vegas and 11.3 percent pickup in San Francisco
- After seasonal adjustment, Seattle, Las Vegas and Minneapolis had the biggest month-over-month increases at 1.3 percent
- Home prices fell 0.2 percent in Cleveland from the prior month
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