Home Prices, Consumer Confidence, Home Sales
September 29, 2015
Tuesday – September 29
Home prices continued to rise in July due to the ongoing strength in the U.S. economy. The Case Shiller 20-city Index showed a 5% gain year-over-year, which was in line with expectations. The index has risen at a 4% or higher rate since September 2012. From June to July, prices rose 0.6%. “Prices of existing homes and housing overall are seeing strong growth and contributing to recent solid growth for the economy,” said spokesperson David Blitzer.
Consumers across the U.S. felt a bit more optimistic about the economy in September. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 103.0 in September, well above the 96.0 expected and up from 101.5 in August. Consumer appraisals of current conditions were more positive in September. Labor market conditions were mixed as those feeling that jobs are plentiful increased, while the feeling that “jobs are hard to get” also increased.
Analytics firm CoreLogic reported on Tuesday that cash sales made up 31% of total home sales in June, down from 34% in June 2014. The year-over-year decrease has taken place each month since January 2013. Back in January 2011, cash sales peaked at nearly 47% of total sales across the nation, while before the housing crisis in late 2007, cash sales were 25%.
