Home prices push higher

WASHINGTON, March 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. home price index rose 0.6 percent December to January, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Thursday.

The agency also revised its price gain from the previous month. Prices were up 0.5 percent in November to December, not 0.6 percent as previously reported for homes with mortgages backed by either the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., better known as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

The U.S. home price index is 4,4 percent below the peak hit in April 2007 and is roughly in line with the price levels from September 2004.

However, national home prices, "have not declined on a monthly basis since January 2012," the agency said.