U.S. home prices in 20 cities ended the first quarter at the lowest levels since the housing crisis began in mid-2006, according to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller home-price indexes.
The S&P Case Shiller index of property values fell 2.6 percent after falling 3.5 percent in February.
Nationwide, however, prices were up month over month – the first two-month streak since a tax credit for home-buyers expired in spring 2010.
At the same time, price declines have slowed, and a majority of markets are rising.
"This is relatively good news," said David Blitzer, chairman of S&P's index committee in a statement.
"We just need to see it happen in more of the cities and for many months in a row."
Three of the weakest markets showed signs of improvement. Prices rose in Tampa and Miami and were unchanged in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the biggest month-to-month increases occurred in Phoenix, Seattle and Dallas. Prices dropped the most in Detroit, Chicago and Atlanta.
The major house price indexes ended the first quarter at new post-financial crisis lows, the report said. For the first quarter, prices were down 2 percent, compared to a 3.9 percent decline in the last three months of 2011.
