Home prices rose 0.2 percent month-over-month in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, and climbed 2.1 percent year-over-year, according to a new report from Redfin.
The data is coming from the Redfin Home Price Index (RHPI), which uses the repeat-sales pricing method to calculate seasonally adjusted changes in single-family home prices. The RHPI measures how sale prices of homes have changed since their previous sale, similar to the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Indices — but is reported about a month earlier. April data covers the three months ending April 30.
“An improving labor market is buoying homebuyer demand, which is keeping home price growth afloat. Even though prices are rising, buyers still have bargaining power because they’re outnumbered by sellers,” Redfin Senior Economist Asad Khan said in a release. “If housing demand keeps climbing, sellers may regain some of that power, causing home prices to rise further.”
In Montgomery County, Pa., home prices climbed 2.5 percent month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis in April — the biggest increase among the metropolitan areas Redfin analyzed. Next came Cleveland (2.5 percent), Nassau County, N.Y. (1.6 percent), Virginia Beach, Va. (1.4 percent) and Pittsburgh (1.1 percent).
Redfin analyzed the 50 most populous metros and included in this analysis the 49 with sufficient data (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is excluded).
Prices fell from a month earlier in 21 metros. The biggest declines were in Oakland, Calif. (-1.4 percent), Newark, NJ (-1.3 percent), Phoenix (-0.7 percent), Orlando (-0.6 percent) and St. Louis (-0.5 percent).