Phoenix-area housing prices on the rise

More metro Phoenix homeowners may soon be able to sell for a profit, albeit a small one, as home prices in the region continue to rise. Arizona State University's latest real-estate report shows the median home price in the Phoenix area climbed again in April to $140,000 -- 25 percent higher than the year before. Helping push up prices is a limited supply of homes for sale and a growing pool of buyers. If those trends hold, the outlook is for home prices to keep rising, which could be good news for many owners who for years have owed more than their houses have been worth. The report highlights some significant movements in the market: Fewer houses for sale: Supply has dwindled as a smaller number of foreclosure homes go up for sale, and the number of homes on the market is at its lowest since the pre-2007 boom. There are about 8,800 houses for sale without a pending contract from a buyer. In 2008, there were more than 50,000. The total number of sales was down, as well, about 12 percent lower than in April 2011.

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