Latest home prices

149 markets tracked for the fourth quarter of 2006.

February 15 2007: 2:33 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The slump in home prices was both deeper and more widespread than ever before in the fourth quarter.
As part of its quarterly survey, the National Association of Realtors reported a 2.7 percent decline in prices in the fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter of a year earlier. That's the biggest year-over-year drop on record.

In addition, 73 markets of 149 tracked reported a decline in prices. That decline was far more widespread than in the third quarter, when only 45 markets reported drops.
More from the NAR report. The table below is ranked by highest percent gain - click column headings to re-sort.

Click Title to see market table

Station Square Development Project

View Latest Renderings (315 KB PDF file)
Station Square Tower Construction Begins - Right On Track With Redevelopment Vision For Downtown Clearwater
Heavy machinery is moving full steam ahead at 628 Cleveland Street. Construction begins December 14th at the future site of Station Square - a 15-story tower featuring upscale residential, retail and restaurant space. It's also the site of an extraordinary development sales success story.
Visionary CEO of Amon Investments, Felix Amon, never strayed from his vision of Station Square and the overall redevelopment mission of downtown Clearwater.
"Station Square is just the ticket for an area quickly emerging as one of the top destinations in the country, says Amon, who used creative marketing measures to spark interest outside the local market.
When all other Florida sales seemed to be off the pace, Amon and his dynamic sales force continued to focus on international and national markets and it paid off. Nearly 80 of the 126-luxury residences are now sold and many of the new owners span the globe from countries including England, Ireland, South America and the U.S.
Sales and Marketing Director Kim Buzzell says "Station Square will provide a new, exciting address in Clearwater for permanent and seasonal residents from all over the world, who will continue to enjoy the best of both coastal and city living."
AMON defines the lifestyle as "Coastal Urban" - providing the downtown feel and excitement with a convenient stroll to nearby beaches.
Another key to success of this Coastal Urban design was to include a variety of residential floor plans for today's increasingly discerning buyer. Residences range from $350,000 to $700,000. The penthouse residences are available for $900,000 to $1.4-million. The condo also features a rooftop pool and lounge deck overlooking downtown.
Station Square is part of a growing redevelopment effort to revitalize downtown Clearwater. Built by Biltmore Construction and managed by AMON Investments, the Mediterranean-style structure will offer locals and visitors 10,000 square feet of upscale retail space on the first floor, including a signature restaurant and several boutique shops.
The tower will compliment the city's beautification efforts to make downtown Clearwater an attractive location to live, work and play.
Felix Amon is the C.E.O. of AMON Investments, based in Daytona Beach. The Austrian-born developer has innovative projects throughout Florida, specializing in luxury waterfront and Coastal Urban condominiums. Amon is a member of the Main St./South A1A Redevelopment Board in Daytona Beach. He is committed to creating safe, beautiful communities with distinct architectural significance.
For more details about Amon Investments projects, go to www.AmonInvestments.com

NAR Releases Year End Existing Home Data - Sunny Side Up

Existing-home sales had a rough 2006 fourth quarter according to figures released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

Total existing-home sales including single-family houses, condos, townhouses, and coops were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.24 million units during the quarter. This is 10.1 percent off the pace of sales in the fourth quarter of 2005.

The downturn was wide-spread, affecting 40 states. Six states showed an increase of sales year-over-year, one state was unchanged, and sufficient data was not lacking from three other states.

Indiana had the biggest sales increase; existing homes sold at a pace 13.7 percent above the last quarter of 2005. Second was Arkansas which showed an 11.1 percent improvement and Texas, with sales running 6.22 percent ahead of one year ago was third.

America’s best and worst housing markets

By Matt Woolsey
Updated: 5:14 p.m. ET Feb 1, 2007

Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
While speculators and flippers in places such as Boston and San Diego are running for cover, in other parts of the country they are basking in robust residential sales. Third-quarter median home prices last year climbed 14.6 percent in Seattle, Wash.; 14.3 percent in El Paso, Texas; and 12.3 percent in Portland, Ore.
They also increased by roughly 5 percent in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C., over the year before, according to the National Association of Realtors.

To view Best and Worst Markets click title

Major home markets' slump continues

Boston and Detroit led the way down, according to latest figures from Case Shiller Weiss. Seattle bucks the trend.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
January 30 2007: 2:45 PM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Housing prices fell in nearly every major U.S. market in November, though some Northwest markets are bucking the trend, according to the latest numbers from Case Shiller Weiss.

Boston prices have swooned by 5 percent for the 12 months through November and Detroit was off 4.5 percent. Of 20 major cities tracked, all but three showed declines in November and seven recorded 12-month losses.

Source:Standard & Poor's and Case Shiller Weiss
Northwest cities have best weathered the storm with Seattle showing a year-over-year increase of 13 percent and Portland a gain of 11.6 percent. In November, Miami led all other markets with growth of 7.4 percent.

The Case Shiller indexes are the basis for derivative investments traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Case Shiller's 20-city composite index, which also includes Chicago, New York, and San Diego, dropped 0.4 percent in November, after inching down 0.2 percent in October. For the 12 months, the index was up 1.7 percent, a far cry from its performance in 2005, when the index gained 15.7 percent.

Click title to see top 20 market trends