Home Prices Going Up, Down, Sideways

Home Prices Going Up, Down, Sideways

Is real estate heating up, cooling down, headed for a deeper freeze, or just hanging in there despite the challenges?

Pick your own theory, but the latest federal report on home real estate price appreciation offers support for each of those scenarios. The third-quarter "house price index'' compiled by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight examined changes under way in 275 of the largest metropolitan markets.

Unlike other studies, the index survey tracks actual value shifts in millions of existing houses whose mortgages are owned or included in securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.