Clear Capital Reports End-of-Year Price Growth, Offers Forecast into 2013

National home prices finished 2012 with a strong yearly gain, but prices fell flat quarter-over-quarter in December, according to a report from ""Clear Capital"":http://www.clearcapital.com/.

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Prices in December saw a 0.9 percent quarterly increase, remaining mostly unchanged from the 1 percent quarterly improvement in November, Clear Capital reported.

Year-over-year, national home prices grew by 4.9 percent. The data provider expects to see continued growth into 2013, but estimates the increase will be slower at 2.1 percent.

Among the four regions, the West ended the year with the strongest quarterly and yearly increases at 2.1 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively. Clear Capital projects the slower growth in 2013 for the region at 2.8 percent as ""buyers adjust to a higher price market.""

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Both the South and Midwest saw prices rise by 0.6 percent quarter-over-quarter in December. In the South, prices increased by 4 percent yearly, and in the Midwest, prices were up by 3 percent during the same time period.

The data provider projects 2013 growth in the South to stand at 2 percent and for the Midwest to be slighter higher at 2.3 percent.

The Northeast saw the smallest quarterly and yearly gains, 0.3 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. The 2013 forecast for the regions is for prices to increase by just 1.4 percent.

""2013 should be interesting for the housing market, where national gains should continue to see upward growth but likely at a more modest rate. Keeping in mind our current gains are off market lows at the start of the year, 2013 gains will be measured against a higher price floor after a full year of recovery,"" said Dr. Alex Villacorta, director of research and analytics at Clear Capital.

Clear Capital also offered a 2013 forecast for the top 50 markets. The data provider says it expects Seattle experience the greatest gains at 13.5 percent.

Birmingham, Alabama was ranked second and is forecast to see 10 percent growth. California metros Bakersfield and Fresno took the third and fourth spots and are expected to grow by 7.9 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. Minneapolis is forecast to see 7.3 percent growth and was ranked No. 5

Out of all 50 markets, Clear Capital also anticipates only 8 will see price decreases in 2013.