Index: Home Price Drop Ceases for First Time in 10 Months

National home prices tracked monthly by Integrated Asset Services LLC's IAS360 House Price Index have ceased falling and stabilized for the first time in 10 months. For the nation as a whole, the index found virtually no change in prices between April and March. The index last registered a month-to-month increase in prices in June 2008 when they rose 0.16%. Since that time home prices nationally have dropped by 13.3%. Within the country's four main regions, only the South saw a slight decline of 0.3% in the latest month-to-month period. Prices in the Northeast jumped the most, at 0.6%, while prices in the Midwest inched up by 0.1% and prices in the West remained stable. "It's too soon to call this a turn in the housing market, particularly given all the political and regulatory uncertainties," said Dave McCarthy, president and chief executive officer of Integrated Asset Services, Denver. "I think that we're still in for some difficult spells ahead, but we are seeing a certain kind of pricing equilibrium in several important markets. That's encouraging for the long term."