The S&P Case-Shiller home price index shows Tampa Bay home prices declining 21.3 percent from April 2008 to April 2009.

Normally we don't pay much attention to month-by-month price changes, but it's worth quoting the figure this time. Local home prices fell only 0.7 percent from March to April, an annualized rate of 8.4 percent. From February to March prices plunged 2.7 percent, Case Shiller said.

Combining data from Case-Shiller, Realtors and other real estate companies, the price stabilization trend seems unmistakable through April and May. The big question for us is whether the flattening will continue or whether rising interest rates and foreclosures will smear more grease under the skids.

Tampa Bay was tied for 7th worst on the 20-city index. Phoenix home prices crash and burned at -35.3 percent. Las Vegas wasn't much better at -32.2 percent. Once again, Miami felt more pain than we did. Its home prices fell 27.3 percent.

Two upper Midwest trouble spots were Detroit and Minneapolis, where home values fell 25.4 percent and 22.1 percent respectively.