Great News! Rate of Plunge In Home Value Slowing

I feel richer already:

Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Declined at Slower Pace
The decline in home prices in 20 major U.S. cities slowed in February for the first time since 2007, amplifying signals that the market may be stabilizing.
The S&P/Case-Shiller index’s 18.6 percent decrease compares with a record 19 percent decline the month before. The gauge has fallen every month since January 2007, and year-over-year records began in 2001.
Declining prices, Federal Reserve efforts to bring mortgage rates down, and government tax credits for first-time buyers may continue to support sales after an almost four-year slide. Still, mounting unemployment means purchases are unlikely to rebound quickly.
“We’re probably getting close to an inflection point,” said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York, who correctly forecast the drop in the index. Still, he said, “if we are indeed going to see a recovery in the second half,” the double-digit price drops will need to abate in the next few months.

Posted by on April 28th, 2009 at 10:59 am


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