Understanding the Freddie Mac House Price Index (FMHPI®)
The Freddie Mac House Price Index (FMHPI®) provides a month-by-month measure of U.S. home price trends by tracking repeat sales of the same properties, making it a more reliable indicator of true price movement than median or average prices. Updated through the latest release, the index shows that national home prices remain roughly 50% above January 2020 levels, highlighting how much of the pandemic-era appreciation is still embedded in the broader U.S. housing market.
Austin stands in clear contrast. Home prices in the Austin metro are now down approximately 19.7% from their May 2022 peak, representing one of the deepest corrections among major U.S. markets tracked in the index. Prices are also down roughly 5% to 6% year over year, and recent monthly readings show continued pressure, confirming that price normalization is still working through the local market.
Understanding the Freddie Mac House Price Index (FMHPI®) and Its Impact on the Austin Housing Market – Latest Update
The latest Freddie Mac House Price Index confirms that Austin remains one of the most pronounced examples of a post-pandemic housing correction among major U.S. metro areas. Home prices in the Austin metro are now approximately 19.7 percent below their May 2022 peak, marking one of the deepest peak-to-trough declines tracked in the index. This compares to a far more modest pullback across most major metros, underscoring how differently Austin has behaved relative to the broader national housing market.
Scroll down to view the full Freddie Mac House Price Index report for the latest release.
On a year-over-year basis, Austin home prices are down roughly 5 to 6 percent, while many large metro areas continue to post flat or modestly positive annual gains. Recent monthly readings show continued softening, reinforcing that downward price pressure has not fully worked through the market. Rather than a sharp rebound, Austin’s price trend reflects a steady normalization following one of the fastest appreciation cycles in the country from 2020 through early 2022.
Even with the ongoing correction, Austin home values remain materially above pre-pandemic levels. Since January 2020, cumulative price appreciation in the Austin metro still exceeds 30 percent, confirming that a meaningful portion of the pandemic-era gains remains embedded in the market. However, Austin now trails several peer metros that experienced steadier and more sustained growth patterns, including markets such as Miami, Charlotte, and Providence, where cumulative appreciation since early 2020 remains significantly higher.
At the national level, home prices remain well above January 2020 benchmarks, highlighting the divergence between Austin and the broader U.S. housing market. While many regions appear to be settling into a more stable pricing environment, Austin continues to adjust as excess appreciation from the pandemic surge is gradually absorbed. The Freddie Mac House Price Index reinforces that this normalization process is still underway, positioning Austin as one of the clearest examples of a market working through a full post-cycle reset rather than a temporary slowdown.
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