Report: US home prices climbed 3.5 percent in June
Boston experienced a 3.5 percent year-over-year increase, but these three cities led the way.
WASHINGTON (AP) — US home prices rose at a slightly slower pace in June, but the housing market continued to show resilience in the face of the coronvavirus pandemic.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 3.5 percent in June from a year earlier, down from May’s 3.6 percent increase and slightly below economists’ expectations. Boston experienced a 3.5 percent year-over-year increase.
Phoenix led the way with a 9 percent increase, followed by Seattle (up 6.5 percent and Tampa (up 5.9 percent). But prices rose at all 19 cities measured in June. The 20-city index released Tuesday excluded prices from the Detroit metropolitan area index because of delays related to pandemic at the recording office in Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
“The June Case-Shiller numbers show the housing market continues to withstand the pandemic-driven blows that have caused so many other facets of the economy to suffer,’’ said economist Matthew Speakman at the real estate firm Zillow.
The continuing spread of COVID-19 cases and Congress’ failure to approve more financial aid to the economy “could jeopardize the path of the economic recovery,’’ Speakman wrote in a research report. But those “concerns haven’t materialized in home prices to this point.’’
The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of existing US homes shot up by a record 24.7 percent in July, the second straight month of accelerating sales. The back-to-back increases have helped stabilize the home-buying market, which all but froze this spring when the viral pandemic struck the United States.
In another good sign for the housing industry, the Commerce Department reported last week that construction of new homes surged 22.6 percent last month as home builders bounced back from a lull induced by the coronavirus pandemic.
Subscribe to the Globe’s free real estate newsletter — our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design — at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @globehomes.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com