Even as the country faces a growing affordability crisis, which has squeezed many first-time homebuyers out of the market, home prices are still on the rise across much of the U.S., according to a recent report by First American Data & Analytics.
In November 2024, the latest data made available by the company, home prices were down by 0.1 percent compared with October but up 3.9 percent compared with a year earlier.
Why It Matters
Home prices have skyrocketed in the past four years and are now 54.7 percent higher at a national level than before the pandemic. This affordability crisis has been brought about by a combination of pent-up demand and a lack of inventory, which has led to bidding wars between willing homebuyers.
When mortgage rates rose significantly in the post-pandemic years, aspiring homebuyers faced yet another financial hurdle. Despite the fact that demand has recently dwindled across the country due …