Prices of U.S. single-family homes rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in February from January but were down 6.5 percent from a year earlier, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said on Wednesday.

The regulator's monthly home price index for January was revised down to a 1 percent increase from a previously reported 1.7 percent gain.

The index is 9.5 percent below its April 2007 peak.

For the nine Census Divisions, seasonally-adjusted monthly price changes in February ranged from a 1.2 percent decline in the East North Central Division to a 3.8 percent increase in the Pacific Division, FHFA said.

The index is calculated using purchase prices of houses financed with mortgages that have been sold to or guaranteed by mortgage finance sources Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac .

FHFA regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks.

(Reporting by Lynn Adler, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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