In the Case-Schiller report data released this morning, US home prices continue to show improvement in August. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Schiller index showed a seasonally-adjusted 1 percent improvement in August over the previous month. 16 of the 20 cities in the index saw their prices rise. Only four–Cleveland, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Seattle–saw their home prices decline.
While the numbers are still down compared to last year, the continued upward trend is a nice change from last winter, when all cities saw their prices decline for several months on end. Many believe that the housing market is now turning around. However, the prices are down significantly. The average price today is equivalent to 2003 levels. In Detroit, they are at the same levels they were at in 1995. Compared to last August, prices are down 11.3 percent. As a result, many of the problems we have seen recently in regards to underwater homeowners and foreclosures seem likely to continue in the near future. As the New York Times said, in many places, it’s as if the housing boom never happened.