HABU report glossary

What does HPI mean in a HABU report?

HPI means House Price Index. The Federal Housing Finance Agency publishes repeat-sales indexes that track broad changes in single-family home prices across geographic markets over time.

How to use this definition

Use this definition to understand a term named in your HABU report. It explains the reference and its limits; it does not turn a screening input into a property-specific appraisal, legal conclusion, or permit decision.

How HPI works as a report reference

What HPI measures

An HPI is a market-movement index, not a dollar estimate for one house. It can show how prices in a metro area changed between two periods without claiming that every property changed by the same percentage.

How HABU uses HPI

When exact Sacramento-area HPI evidence is available, HABU can scale a recorded purchase price from its sale quarter to the report evidence date. The report labels that result "Est. Market (Purchase + HPI)" and keeps it as one reference view rather than a property-level appraisal.

What HPI cannot tell you

HPI does not inspect the home, measure renovations or deferred maintenance, distinguish one block from another, or replace current comparable sales, a property-level valuation, or a licensed appraisal. A missing purchase date or exact HPI period can also make the reference unavailable.

Reference limitation: An HPI-adjusted purchase price is a broad market reference, not a current appraisal, automated valuation, comparable-sale conclusion, or guaranteed sale price.

Questions about FHFA House Price Index (HPI)

Is HPI the same as my home's appreciation?

No. HPI measures average price movement across a market. Your property may perform differently because of its location, condition, improvements, lot, and buyer demand.

How is an HPI-adjusted purchase reference calculated?

The recorded purchase price is multiplied by the ratio between the applicable index at the report evidence date and the index for the purchase quarter. HABU shows the result only when the required evidence is available.

Why might "Est. Market (Purchase + HPI)" be unavailable?

The report may lack a usable recorded purchase price, purchase date, or exact supported HPI period. HABU does not invent a value when those inputs are missing.

Check the source and related report terms

Start with HABU's plain-language summary, then use the authority-owned source and related definitions when you want the underlying context.

Authoritative source

Federal Housing Finance Agency: House Price Index

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