But the market showed signs of cooling as rising mortgage rates pushed more prospective buyers to the sidelines.
On a monthly basis, prices fell 0.2% from June, the first month-over-month decrease for the national index since February 2012.
Tampa notched the biggest gains, with home prices rising 31.8% in July from the year before.
Higher mortgage rates cooled demandThe home price reports highlight the cooling effect of rising mortgage rates.
As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they often sell government bonds, which sends yields higher and mortgage rates rise.