The May Existing Home Sales release published in late June showed another strong rise in home prices from a year ago – 7.9 percent for the median priced existing home sold. This marks the third consecutive month of year-over-year gains according to NAR data.

Today’s release of prices as measured by Clear Capital show a similar trend – June prices are up 1.7 percent compared to one year ago, and this is the second month of a year-over-year gain according to this data. [1]

Other home price measures show the same pattern. CoreLogic data show three consecutive months of year-over-year gains beginning in March 2012, while FHFA shows positive year-over-year growth starting in February and continuing through April, the most recently released month of data. Gains in the CoreLogic data are between one and two percent while FHFA shows gains of up to three percent year-over-year. Case Shiller data has yet to show year-over-year gains, but declines as measured by Case Shiller have decreased and gains have been seen month-to-month.

In summary, many house price measures are pointing to the same trend: increasing home prices. Demand has finally caught up to supply, restoring market balance and more typical price performance.

[1] Clear Capital provides little public information on its rolling quarter methodology makes it difficult to determine the time-frame of the contract signings and closings used in the data.

After three years of hard work, the Cleveland Indians stadium just got a little bit more eco-friendly with a brand new wind turbine that was installed on top of Progressive Field Wednesday.

This isn’t your ordinary wind turbine, but is corkscrew-shaped. Designed by mechanical engineering professor Dr. Majid Rashidi at Cleveland State, the turbine magnifies airflow around a central cylinder powering four fans. This particular design is more advantageous for urban areas and smaller spaces compared to the normal turbine with blades.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of Ohio, the turbine weighs 3,000-pounds. The innovative technology will be used on April 5, opening day for the Indians.

According to the Associated Press, the Indians are making headway in the sporting world, as they are the first major league team to mount a wind turbine to their stadium. It can be seen on the southeast corner with colored LED lights.

The Cleveland baseball team is no stranger to benefiting the environment. In 2007, solar panels were also added. With the new energy-saver, the Indians “hope to not only benefit the environment by increasing [their] use of renewable energy, but also help an impressive new technology generate local jobs by taking advantage of Cleveland’s great manufacturing workforce and factories,” Brad Mohr, assistant director of ballpark operations said.