Twelve of the 20 cities in the index showed a year-over-year gain, led by a 12 percent increase in Phoenix.
Atlanta led declines, with a 15 percent drop. Other year-over-year examples include Seattle, down 6.43 percent; New York, which dropped 2.85 percent; Miami, up 3.43 percent; Denver, up 3.66 percent; Dallas, up 3.79 percent; and Minneapolis, up 4.70 percent.
There were 2.39 million existing homes for sale in June, down from an average supply of 2.93 million in 2011 and 3.22 million in 2010, data from the National Association of Realtors show.
The same NAR report indicated the median price of an existing home climbed 7.9 percent to $189,400 last month, the biggest gain since February 2006.
Fiscal Cliff
Companies such as Weyerhaeuser Co. are concerned the so- called fiscal cliff at year's end -- when tax cuts on wages, capital gains, dividends and estates are scheduled to lapse -- as well as longer-term domestic fiscal policy will hurt growth.
"The good news for us this year is that the housing market seems to be shaking off that concern at this point in time," Daniel Fulton, Weyerhaeuser's president and chief executive officer, said on a July 27 earnings call. "We're encouraged, but I think we still have a confidence issue to deal with among home buyers and the general public because it not only affects homes sales, it affects retail sales and overall employment."
Borrowing costs remain attractive. The average rate on a 30-year fixed loan dropped to 3.49 percent last week, the lowest in data going back to 1972, according to Freddie Mac.
Federal Reserve policy makers, led by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, meet this week to discuss whether further measures are needed to boost growth and push down an unemployment rate that's been stuck above 8 percent for 41 consecutive months -- the longest stretch in the post-World War II era.
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1-months 3-months 1-year 2-years 3-years
earlier earlier earlier earlier earlier
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US Composite-20 2.24% 3.61% -0.66% -5.13% -0.73%
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Chicago 4.46% 3.13% -3.03% -10.89% -12.21%
Atlanta 3.96% 5.47% -14.54% -18.55% -17.11%
San Francisco 3.88% 8.54% 0.64% -4.84% 12.58%
Minneapolis 3.12% 2.82% 4.70% -7.52% 3.28%
Phoenix 2.67% 7.49% 11.47% 0.83% 8.07%
Seattle 2.64% 6.50% 0.59% -6.44% -7.78%
Portland 2.64% 4.24% 0.44% -8.71% -8.08%
Washington DC 2.51% 6.14% 2.77% 1.63% 9.48%
Cleveland 2.41% 5.25% -0.06% -6.31% -2.88%
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1-months 3-months 1-year 2-years 3-years
earlier earlier earlier earlier earlier
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Boston 2.36% 3.04% -0.15% -3.39% 1.28%
Los Angeles 2.21% 3.91% -1.96% -5.10% 4.13%
Denver 2.12% 5.48% 3.66% 0.19% 3.80%
Tampa 2.04% 5.12% 2.52% -5.81% -7.19%
Las Vegas 1.88% 2.96% -3.19% -9.57% -15.48%
Dallas 1.86% 5.20% 3.79% -1.16% 1.80%
Miami 1.43% 2.77% 3.43% -2.04% -0.86%
New York 1.42% 0.84% -2.85% -5.91% -6.29%
Charlotte 1.00% 4.36% 0.89% -3.05% -5.81%
San Diego 0.86% 2.68% -1.11% -6.16% 5.51%
Detroit 0.36% -5.49% 0.61% -3.28% -5.64%
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NOTE: The S&P/Case-Shiller (R) Home Price Indices are
constructed from data on sales of individual properties. With
this method, changes in the index are derived only from actual
changes in selling prices of individual properties.
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