Massachusetts Home Buyer Guide

U.S. home prices rose in September for the sixth straight month, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home-price Index report released November 27, 2012. The report states that the data signals that the U.S. housing market is "in the midst of a recovery."

Market Watch reported that prices rose in 13 of 20 cities in September, but the overall level remained about one-third below a 2006 peak. Boston saw year-over-year gains in home prices.

Housing in Phoenix, where home prices are up 20.4 percent compared to a year ago, had the biggest gain among the 20 cities surveyed.

Below is a city-by-city breakdown of the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city data, which showed a 0.3 percent increase in home prices in September compared to August.

Atlanta: Home prices rose 0.3 percent in September, but remain below levels in 2000; however, on an annual basis, prices inched up 0.1 percent. That's a reversal of more than two years of annual declines.

Boston: Home prices decreased 0.6 percent in September, but home prices in Boston increased 1.9 percent compared to September 2011.

Charlotte, N.C.: Prices decreased 0.3 percent, and increased 3.5 percent over the past 12 months. 

Chicago: Prices decreased 0.6 percent in September and are down 1.5 percent over the past year, making the The Windy City one of only two with negative annual results. 

Cleveland: Prices decreased 0.9 percent in September, the worst among cities tracked by Case-Shiller; however, home prices are up 1.4 percent from a year ago. 

Dallas: Prices rose 0.2 percent in September and were up 4.4 percent from a year earlier.

Denver: Prices rose 0.4 percent in September, and home prices in the Mile High City are up 6.7 percent in the past year. 

Detroit: Prices remain below 2000 levels in the Motor City, but increased 0.7 percent in September and are up 7.6 percent compared to the same time last year.  

Las Vegas: Home prices in Sin City remain below 2000 levels, but rose 1.4 percent in September and were up 3.8 percent from September 2011.

Los Angeles: Prices rose 1 percent in the City of Angels in September. Los Angeles posted a 4 percent increase from a year ago.

Miami: Prices increased 0.1 percent in September and are up 7.4 percent from last year. 

Minneapolis: Prices rose 1.1 percent in September and are up 8.8 percent from a year earlier. 

New York: There wasn't anything big about the increase in home prices in the Big Apple. In fact, prices dipped 0.1 percent in September and are down 2.3 percent from the prior year.

Phoenix: Prices in the Valley of the Sun rose 1.1 percent in September, and home prices are up 20.4 percent from September 2011, the largest annual gain among the 20 cities tracked by Case-Shiller. 

Portland: Prices rose 0.2 percent in September and are up 3.7 percent compared to last year. 

San Diego: Sunny San Diego saw its home prices rise 1.4 percent in September. San Diego home prices are up 4.1 percent from the same month last year.  

San Francisco: Home prices increase 0.5 percent in September and are up 7.5 percent from a year earlier. 

Seattle: Prices increased 0.3 percent and are up 4.8 percent since September 2011. 

Tampa: Prices were flat Tampa in September, but were up 5.9 percent from last year. 

Washington: Prices were also flat in the U.S. Capital, but were up 3.2 percent from a year earlier.