Data released today by S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices show decreases of 1.1 percent and 1.2 percent for the 10- and 20-City Composites in October vs. September. Nineteen of the 20 cities covered by the indices also saw home prices decrease over the month. The 10- and 20-City Composites posted annual returns of -3.0 percent and -3.4 percent versus October 2010, respectively. Fourteen of the 20 MSAs and both Composites saw improved annual returns compared to September’s data. Miami saw no change in annual returns in October; while Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Minneapolis saw their annual rates worsen. At -11.7 percent Atlanta posted the lowest annual return. Detroit and Washington DC were the only two cities to post positive annual returns of +2.5 percent and +1.3 percent, respectively. “Atlanta and the Midwest are regions that really stand out in terms of recent relative weakness,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. Atlanta was down 5.0 percent over the month, after having fallen by 5.9 percent in September. It also has the weakest annual return, down 11.7 percent. Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Minneapolis all posted monthly declines of 1.0 percent or more in October. These markets were some of the strongest during the spring/summer buying season. However, Detroit is the healthiest when viewed on an annual basis. It is up 2.5 percent versus October 2010. Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit and Las Vegas are four markets where average prices are below their January 2000 levels; and Atlanta and Las Vegas posted new lows in October.
