Real estate

Steady growth in home prices continued across the nation in August.

Steady growth in home prices continued in South Florida and across the country during August, a new report shows.

Prices in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties rose 7.1 percent compared with those in August 2015, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller housing index released Tuesday.

Prices rose in all 20 metro areas tracked by the index. Portland, Ore., and Seattle had the highest price gains at 11.7 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively. The national average was 5.3 percent.

South Florida was one of 10 metro areas with a higher annual increase in August compared with July. Prices in the tri-county region rose 7 percent in July from a year earlier.

“Other housing data, including sales of existing single-family homes, measures of housing affordability and permits for new construction, also point to a reasonably healthy housing market,” said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee, in a statement.

The index tracks the price of the same house over time, making it one of the most reliable measures of home values, analysts say. However, the index lags data from local Realtor boards by one month.

Sales in all three counties have declined recently, according to the Realtor boards. While demand has slowed, the market still has plenty of buyers, said Jon Klein, an agent with Real Living 1st Choice Realty in Coral Springs.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any major skyrocketing or any major free falling,” Klein said. “We’re in a good place right now.”

Brian Pearl, an agent at Lang Realty in southern Palm Beach County, said strict lending requirements enacted after the housing bust are helping to keep the market on an even keel.

“Banks aren’t giving money away like they were before,” Pearl said. “As long as they keep requiring income documentation, I think we’re going to be OK.”