U.S. Monthly House Price Index Reports 0.3 Percent Price Decline in August

---

(News Source: FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY)

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- U.S. home prices fell 0.3 percent on a seasonally-adjusted basis from July to August, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.3 percent increase in July was unrevised. For the 12 months ending in August, U.S. prices fell 3.6 percent. The U.S. index is 10.7 percent below its April 2007 peak.

The FHFA monthly index is calculated using purchase prices of houses backing mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. For the nine Census Divisions, seasonally-adjusted monthly price changes from July to August ranged from -1.6 percent in the South Atlantic Central Division to + 1.2 percent in the Pacific Division.

States in Each Census Division

Pacific Census Division: Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California

Mountain Census Division: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico

West North Central: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri

West South Central: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana

East North Central: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio

East South Central: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama

New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

Middle Atlantic: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

South Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida

---