|
The HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. It serves as a
timely, accurate indicator of house price trends at various geographic levels. It also provides housing economists
with an analytical tool that is useful for estimating changes in the rates of mortgage defaults, prepayments and
housing affordability in specific geographic areas. The HPI is a measure designed to capture changes in the value
of single-family homes in the U.S. as a whole, in various regions of the country, and in the individual states and
the District of Columbia. The HPI is published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) using data provided by
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), one of FHFA’s predecessor
agencies, began publishing the HPI in the fourth quarter of 1995.
|