In the last quarter of 2016, the median cost of a single-family home in the region rose to $348,800, up nearly 8% from the previous year and a greater increase than any other region, according to the National Association of Realtors . “Depressed new and existing inventory conditions led to several of the largest metro areas seeing near or above double-digit appreciation, which has pushed home values to record highs in a slight majority of markets,” said Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist.