Home Price Growth Slows in March
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index (HPI) increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.65% for March, following a 6.42% gain in February. On a year-over-year basis, the HPI posted a 6.49% annual gain in March, following a 6.53% increase in February.
The Home Price Index released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.2% for March, falling from a 16.07% rate in February. On a year-over-year basis, the index rose 6.75% in March, down from 7.11% in the previous month.
The S&P Dow Jones Indices also reported home price indexes across 20 metro areas in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, with a national average of 3.65%.
The three metro areas with greatest home price appreciation:
- New York (16.2%)
- Cleveland (16.13%)
- Chicago (9.47%)
The three metro areas with the greatest home price depreciation:
- Tampa (-2.95%)
- Phoenix (-3.49%)
- Denver (-7.85%)
See how home prices appreciated in other key metro areas in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter, posting a reading of 62—up one point compared to the previous quarter.
For the first time since 2022, the share of new homes with two-story foyers increased, according to the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). Despite the increase, the market share of two-story foyers has generally trended downward since 2017, with most new single-family homes being built without a two-story foyer both nationally and regionally.
Latest Economic News
In the third quarter of 2026, the NAHB Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, up one point compared to the previous quarter. The RMI has remained within a narrow band between 59 and 70 for the past four years.
Mortgage application activity declined as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, decreased 7.7% month-over-month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications were lower by 35.4%.
Mortgage rates rose sharply in September as multiple factors applied significant upward pressure on the U.S. treasury yields. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.86% in September, up nearly 20 basis points (bps) from August.