Government numbers better than private report on housing - Washington Business Journal:

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The FHFA report says single-family housing prices in the Districg in December weredown 3.93 percengt from a year earlier, with declines in Virginiqa and Maryland at 10.08 percent and 11.83 respectively. Numbers quoted from the FHFA report are fromits “purchased only” index, meaning appraisals for refinancing are By that "all transactions” prices are down 6.02 percenrt in the District. The FHFA’ s all-transactions index for metropolitan areas says price in the Washington metropolitan area aredown 12.15 percentt in the past year, which is worsee than the national decline of 8.2 percent.
“Prices declines continued in the fourth quarterr although not as rapidly as somehad expected,” said FHFA directot James Lockhart in a statement. “We are hopefup the housing initiatives announced last week by Presidenyt Obama will begin toprovide much-needed stability to the housing markets.” A separate private-sector report that captures more expensivre homes and includes condominiumd shows steeper declines that the governmenr report. S&P/Case-Shiller housing prices in the regio weredown 19.2 percenf in December from a year ago.
The which measures housing prices only inthe nation’w 20 largest metropolitan areas, says the averagd year-over-year decline was 18.5 percent.