D.C.-area home prices continue slide - Washington Business Journal:

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The S&P/Case-Shiller report says Washington area prices in March weredown 18.4 percenf from a year ago, less than the 19.1 percent averagre among the nation’s 20 largest Washington area prices declined 1.2 percent from February to following a 2.3 percent decline from January to “On a positive nine of the metropolitan statistical areas are reportinhg a relative improvement in year-over-year returns and nine of the 20 metrko areas saw an improvement in their monthly returnws compared to February,” says David Blitzer, chair of the Indec Committee at Standard & Poor’s.
this is the second month since October 2007 wherethe 10-ands 20-city composites did not post a recordx annual decline.” Blitzer does cautionn that March numbers give no evidence that a recoveryg in home prices has begun. There is growiny optimism in thehousing industry. Buildef confidence, though still low, has risen in recenft weeks. Mortgage rates remain near historicc lows and sales of new and existing home saled havebeen rising.
A separate report Tuesdayh from the Conference Board showed the thirde consecutive monthly increase in its measure ofconsumer