The real estate market is getting better, at least according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. The data showed what most experts have known for some time. June was a month in which prices rose from last year.

On a broad basis home prices were up 4.4% for the second quarter.

Prices were up 5% for June for the top ten metro areas and 4.2% in the top 20 compared to June of last year.. Seventeen of the 20 markets showed improvements compared with May.

The month-over-previous-month gains were greatest in Detroit at 2.5% , Minneapolis at 2.6% and Washington at 1.1% June’s improvement over May averaged 1% for all 20 cities.

Douglas A. McIntyre