SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Trulia released the latest findings from the Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor, the earliest leading indicators available of trends in home prices and rents. Based on the for-sale homes and rentals listed on Trulia, these monitors take into account changes in the mix of listed homes and reflect trends in prices and rents for similar homes in similar neighborhoods through December 31, 2012.
Asking Home Price Gains Accelerating, Rising 5.1 Percent in 2012
In December 2012, asking prices increased 5.1 percent nationally year-over-year (Y-o-Y), marking a huge turnaround from being down 4.3 percent in December 2011. Moreover, not only are prices rising, these gains have accelerated in the last year. Quarter-over-quarter price changes were 0.8 percent in Q1 (March 2012), 0.4 percent in Q2 (June 2012), 1.4 percent in Q3 (September 2012), and 2.3 percent in Q4 (December 2012), seasonally adjusted.
2012’s Biggest Turnaround Housing Markets: Las Vegas and Seattle
Asking home prices increased the most in Phoenix, which rose 26.0 percent Y-o-Y in December 2012; however, Las Vegas and Seattle experienced the year’s most dramatic price turnarounds. Both had price gains of more than 10 percent in 2012 after declines of more than 10 percent in 2011. Overall, 2012 marked a huge turnaround year for most local housing markets. In fact, prices rose in 82 of the 100 largest metros at the end of December, compared with just 12 out of 100 in 2011.
Rents Up 5.2 Percent, But Prices Rising Faster in Phoenix and Las Vegas
Nationally, rents rose 5.2 percent Y-o-Y. Throughout 2012, rent increases Y-o-Y remained around 5 percent, even though asking price increases accelerated and have almost caught up with rent gains at the end of the year. Locally, rents rose most in Houston, Oakland, and Miami. Rent increases surpassed price increases by a wide margin in Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. In contrast, prices grew much faster than rents in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Riverside-San Bernardino, and Sacramento. Overall, prices rose faster than rents in 17 of the 25 largest rental markets in 2012.
“What a difference a year makes. In 2012, prices rose in 82 of the 100 largest metros, compared with just 12 metros seeing price increases in 2011,” said Jed Kolko, Trulia’s Chief Economist. “The 2012 price turnaround was strongest in the West and Southwest, where steady job growth and vanishing inventories lifted home prices by more than 10 percent in many markets.”
“The housing market enters 2013 with a running start,” said Jed Kolko, Trulia’s Chief Economist. “Price gains picked up steam in 2012, starting with modest increases early in the year and accelerating in the third and fourth quarter. In 2013, rising prices will encourage more new construction and some homeowners to sell, which will help alleviate the current inventory shortage.”
The full report is available at Trulia.