The jump in S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller’s 20-city home price index came on top of a 15% rise in April. Surging demand for housing is outpacing the supply.
WASHINGTON (AP) -Prices for U.S. homes rose faster in May than they have in 17 years as surging demand for housing outstripped the supply.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index, released Tuesday, soared 17% in May from a year earlier on top of a 15% jump in April. The May increase was the biggest since August 2004.
The hottest markets were Phoenix (where prices surged 25.9%), San Diego (24.7%) and Seattle (23.4%). All 20 cities reported faster-over-year growth in May than they did in April.
The U.S. housing market has been hot. Many Americans, tired of being coped up at home during the pandemic, have traded in apartments and small homes in city for bigger houses in the suburbs. The federal Reserve’s easy money policies have also kept mortgages rates near historic lows, pushing up demand for housing.
The supply of houses for sale has been limited, partly because many Americans are reluctant to put their properties on the market and allow would-be buyers to troop through their homes.
But rising prices have pushed many would-be buyers out of the market. The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of new homes fell in June for the third straight month, sliding to the lowest level in more than a year. Last week, the National Association of Realtors reported that sales of previously occupied homes rose in June, snapping a four-month losing streak.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press, Paul Wiseman, AP economics writer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2021/07/us-home-prices-surge-17-may-fastest-17-years
2021 Florida Realtors REALTOR and Realtor are registered trademarks of the National Association of Realtors.
