Talking Points …
- The price of an existing home grew 4.46 percent last year, according to the Case Shiller Home Price Index. Sales of existing homes, while not at pre-recession peaks, were up, but new home sales and construction were still weak.
- The price index is down slightly from 4.7 percent in November and is the weakest full-year gain since home prices were falling in 2011.
- Regionally, Miami saw the strongest 12-month increase after San Francisco, while Chicago saw an average home price increase of just 1.3 percent.