U.S. home prices rose 9.3 percent in February compared with a year ago, the most in nearly seven years. The gains were driven by a growing number of buyers who bid on a limited supply of homes.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index increased from and 8.1 percent year-over-year gain in January. And annual prices rose in February in all 20 cities for the second month in a row.