U.S. home prices increased more slowly in September from a year ago as higher mortgage rates weighed on sales.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.1 per cent from a year earlier. That’s down from a 5.5-per-cent yearly gain in the previous month. It was the sixth straight month that home price increases have slowed.
The weaker price gains reflect a broader slowdown in the nation’s housing market. Sales of existing homes rose modestly in October, snapping a six-month streak of declines. But sales are still 5.1 per cent lower than they were a year ago. New home sales have fallen for four straight months. Mortgage rates have jumped in the past year, reaching 4.8 per cent last week, up from 3.9 per cent a year ago.