U.S. home prices climb for seventh month in a row to a record high

The numbers: Home prices in the 20 biggest U.S. metros rose for the seventh month in a row and hit a record high, reflecting a persistent shortage of properties for sale.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index moved up an unadjusted 0.2% in September compared to the previous month. The index crested to the highest level since it was created in the late 1980s.

Home prices in the 20 major U.S. metro markets were up 3.9% in the past 12 months ending in September. The August report saw a 2.5% rise in home prices year-over-year.