US home-price growth slows as buyer‑seller standoff persists

The annualized growth rate of U.S. home prices fell to 0.66% in March, down from 0.75% the previous month, according to the S&P Cotality Case‑Shiller Index. Month‑over‑month price appreciation also dipped to 0.7%, the slowest pace since 2019. Cotality principal economist Thom Malone said buyers are rejecting current price tags while sellers are unwilling to offer steep discounts, creating a market “standoff.”

Among metros, “older, colder” markets showed the sharpest gains: Chicago’s annual price growth rose 6.1% and its month‑over‑month increase was 2.2%, followed by New York (4% annual), Cleveland (3%), and Boston (2.1%). The overall U.S. housing market remains in a holding pattern, with analysts expecting only minimal, single‑digit price growth in the near term unless sellers begin trimming asking prices.