by Calculated Risk on 7/26/2011 09:00:00 AM

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for May (actually a 3 month average of March, April and May).

This includes prices for 20 individual cities and and two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities).

Note: Case-Shiller reports NSA, I use the SA data.

From S&P: Some More Seasonal Improvement in Home Prices

Data through May 2011 ... showed a second consecutive month of increase in prices for the 10- and 20-City Composites. The 10- and 20-City Composites were up 1.1% and 1.0%, respectively, in May over April. Sixteen of the 20 MSAs and both Composites posted positive monthly increases; Detroit, Las Vegas and Tampa were down over the month and Phoenix was unchanged.
...
In May 2011, the 10- and 20-City Composites recorded annual returns of -3.6% and -4.5%, respectively. Both Composites and 11 MSAs – Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa – saw their annual rates worsen in May compared to April.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

The first graph shows the nominal seasonally adjusted Composite 10 and Composite 20 indices (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000).

The Composite 10 index is off 31.8% from the peak, and up slightly in May (SA). The Composite 10 is 1.7% above the May 2009 post-bubble bottom (Seasonally adjusted).

The Composite 20 index is off 31.8% from the peak, and down slightly in May (SA). The Composite 20 is slightly above the March 2011 post-bubble bottom seasonally adjusted.

The second graph shows the Year over year change in both indices.

The Composite 10 SA is down 3.6% compared to May 2010.

The Composite 20 SA is down 4.5% compared to May 2010.

The third graph shows the price declines from the peak for each city included in S&P/Case-Shiller indices.

Prices increased (SA) in 9 of the 20 Case-Shiller cities in May seasonally adjusted. Prices in Las Vegas are off 59% from the peak, and prices in Dallas only off 9.5% from the peak.

From S&P (NSA):

As of May 2011, 16 of the 20 MSAs and both Composites posted positive monthly changes. Phoenix was flat. Detroit, Las Vegas and Tampa were the markets where levels fell in May versus April, with Detroit down by 2.8% and Las Vegas posting its eighth consecutive monthly decline. These three cities also posted new index level lows in May 2011. They are now 51.2%, 59.3% and 47.5% below their 2005-6 peak levels, respectively.

There could be some confusion between the SA and NSA numbers, but this improvement is mostly seasonal. I'll have more ...