US house prices are rising faster than any other industrial nation... so is NOW the time to buy?

US home prices are rising faster than any other industrial nation after a post-pandemic slump, signaling a possible turning point in the market, according to a new report. 

Global nominal house prices grew 2.1 percent in the third quarter of 2023 from the prior period, up from nearly zero growth in the first half of the year, according to a Financial Times analysis of OECD data. 

Across the 37 industrialized OECD countries, home prices have held up best in the US, where they rose 5.2 percent in the year to November, thanks to a solid economy and strong job growth, the analysis found.

Home prices are 'close to the bottom in many places and recovering in a lot of places', Tomasz Wieladek, economist at investment company T Rowe Price, told the outlet. 

It follows a period of housing price stagnation or decline in many economies around the world, as most nations raised interest rates to battle inflation. 

Across the 37 industrialized OECD countries, home prices have held up best in the US, where they rose 5.2 percent in the year to November 

The FT analysis noted that home prices are still likely to fall further in a handful of countries with larger rental markets, including Germany, Denmark and Sweden.  

In the US and UK, mortgage rates have ticked up in February, putting a damper on demand, but rates remain well below their peaks reached last year. 

The average rate on a US 30-year fixed mortgage stands at 6.9 percent, down from 7.8 percent in November. 

According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index, prices in Detroit are rising at the fastest pace in the US, as the city bounces back from the 2008 financial crisis which left some homes there virtually worthless.

In the year to November 2023, property prices in the Motor City increased 8.2 percent, according to latest data from the leading measure of US house prices.

Prices in San Diego, meanwhile, rose 8 percent year-on-year - the second largest of any city.

Homes in New York City and Cleveland went up by 7.4 percent annually, while property prices shot up 7.2 percent to November 2023 in Los Angeles and Miami.

In the year to November 2023, property prices in Detroit increased 8.2 percent, according to latest data from the leading measure of US house prices

Separate figures from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) show sales of existing properties slid 19 percent last year to 4.09 million - their lowest level since 1995 - as soaring mortgage rates and still-high prices dampened buyer demand.

However, economists claim the market is looking in much better condition for 2024.

During the pandemic house prices ballooned from $329,000 in January 2020 to $433,000 two years later, according to US census data. 

The market was bolstered by a so-called 'race for space' which saw buyers looking for bigger homes with more outdoor space to spend lockdown.

But they have kept growing since thanks to a limited supply of available homes. NAR's data shows the median home price nationwide hit $382,600 in December, up by 4.4 percent from 2022.