D.C. housing prices rise in 2011--ZT

Industry reports continue to show that the housing market is much healthier in Washington than in many other cities, and the latest one says Washington is the healthiest in the nation.

Real estate data company Clear Capital forecasts housing prices in 2011 will fall an average of 3.7 percent nationwide, but it ranks the Washington market as one of few that will see prices rise this year.

Clear Capital's 2011 forecast says median prices in the Washington market will rise 6.5 percent in 2011, the biggest gain among major markets. That would follow a 5.3 percent increase in Washington-area housing prices in 2010, also one of the best gains last year.

In the 50 largest cities, Clear Capital forecasts 2011 prices gains in only 13 markets.

Clear Capital data shows that nationally median housing prices in December were down 4.1 percent from a year earlier, while Washington-area prices were up an average of 5.3 percent.

In addition to Washington, cities expected to see significant gains in prices in 2011 are Houston; Honolulu; Memphis, Tenn.; Columbus, Ohio; and New York.