Inquiring minds have been asking for another housing update.
Using the Japan Nationwide Land Prices model as my guide, here is how I have called things in real time.
click on chart for sharper image
My previous update was was on December 1 ,2008 in a post with the same name as this one Housing Update – How Far To The Bottom?
I just added the Summer 2009 arrow. Housing prices are now one notch closer to their final destination. The US Timeline scale is compressed. At the current pace, housing will bottom in about 7 years vs. 14 years in Japan.
Comparison to Case-Shiller
Inquiring minds may wish to compare the shape of the above chart to June 209 Case Shiller Release (April Data).
click on chart for sharper image
The chart above shows the index levels for the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices. As of April 2009, average home prices across the United States are at similar levels to where they were in the middle of 2003. From the peak in the second quarter of 2006, the 10-City Composite is down 33.6% and the 20-City Composite is down 32.6%.
click on chart for sharper image
The chart above depicts the annual returns of the 10-City Composite and the 20-City Composite Home Price Indices. The 10-City and 20-City Composites declined 18.0% and 18.1%, respectively, in April compared to the same month in 2008. These are improvements over their returns reported for March, down 18.7% for both indices. For the past three months, the 10-City and 20-City Composites have recorded an improvement in annual returns. Record annual declines were reported for both indices with their respective January data, -19.4% for the 10-City Composite and -19.0% for the 20-City Composite.
“The pace of decline in residential real estate slowed in April,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s. “In addition to the 10-City and 20-City Composites, 13 of the 20 metro areas also saw improvement in their annual return compared to that of March. Furthermore, every metro area, except for Charlotte, recorded an improvement in monthly returns over March. While one month’s data cannot determine if
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