Haver Analytics
Haver Analytics
Global| Aug 26 2014

U.S. FHFA Home Price Index Growth Decelerates Y/Y

Summary

The U.S. House Price Index from the Federal Housing and Finance Agency (FHFA) gained 0.4% during June (5.1% y/y) after a 0.2% May increase, revised from 0.4%. The latest increase was the strongest in three months but it left the 5.1% [...]


The U.S. House Price Index from the Federal Housing and Finance Agency (FHFA) gained 0.4% during June (5.1% y/y) after a 0.2% May increase, revised from 0.4%. The latest increase was the strongest in three months but it left the 5.1% y/y increase at its lowest point since September 2012. During the last twelve months, prices remained the strongest in the Pacific region, but the 9.4% rate of increase was half that during last summer. Annual price growth in the Mountain region also eased to 7.3% during June, roughly half the y/y rate of gain twelve months ago.

Home price inflation eased throughout the U.S. One of the larger decelerations occurred in the East South Central states where the 1.9% y/y gain was down from 7.1% y/y last summer. In the East North Central region, 3.8% growth was down from 6.8% six months ago. In the South Atlantic region home price growth of 6.1% y/y compared to 9.1% y/y as of last July. Home price growth in the East North Central region was 3.8% y/y versus a high of 6.8% y/y six months ago.

The FHFA house price index is a weighted repeat sales index. It measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. It is based on transactions involving conforming, conventional mortgages purchased or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Only mortgage transactions on single family properties are included. The FHFA data is available in Haver's USECON database.

FHFA U.S. House Price Index Purchase Only (SA %) Jun May Apr Y/Y 2013 2012 2011
Total 0.4 0.2 0.1 5.1 7.7 3.4 -4.0
  Pacific 0.8 0.3 0.1 9.4 16.5 4.9 -6.8
  Mountain -0.0 0.2 -0.1 7.3 12.7 8.1 -6.6
  South Atlantic 1.3 -0.1 0.2 6.1 8.2 4.0 -5.1
  West South Central -0.1 0.9 -0.8 4.4 6.2 4.3 -1.1
  New England 0.6 0.8 -0.9 4.1 4.0 -0.1 -2.2
  East North Central -0.1 -0.2 0.5 3.8 5.5 2.2 -3.6
  West North Central -0.5 0.4 -0.2 3.0 5.0 3.4 -3.2
  Middle Atlantic 0.5 0.8 0.7 3.0 2.9 0.0 -3.1
  East South Central 0.0 -0.8 0.5 1.9 4.5 2.5 -2.6

New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Middle Atlantic: New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
East North Central: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
West North Central: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
South Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, GA & FL
East South Central: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.
West South Central: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.
Mountain: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
Pacific: Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.
  • Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio.   Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984.   He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C.   In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists.   Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.

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