Final some good press!

Housing strong in many metro areas

From Salem to Salt Lake, 97 of 149 markets saw an increase in median home prices in the second quarter of 2007.

Unless, that is, you live in Salt Lake City. Or Binghamton, N.Y., Salem, Ore., or Allentown, Pa. In these U.S. metropolitan areas, and in 93 others, existing-single-family-home prices actually increased in the second quarter of 2007 from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. The national median home price, meanwhile, fell 1.5%, to $223,800, in the same period.

Despite the national decline, there are some bright spots out there, according to the NAR. "Although home prices are relatively flat, more metro areas are showing price gains with general improvement since bottoming out in the fourth quarter of 2006," NAR senior economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. "Recent mortgage disruptions will hold back sales temporarily, but the fundamental momentum clearly suggests stabilizing price trends in many local markets."