Real Estate Markets: Top 9 Gainers in 2011

For the vast majority of baby boomers, household wealth is concentrated in home equity. The good news: The rate of monthly depreciation has stabilized as the housing market nears bottom, according to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Report, released last week.

U.S. home values fell three-tenths of one percent in October from the previous month, and on a year-over-year basis, declined 5 percent to an median value of $147,900. Home values have fallen nearly 24 percent since their peak in May 2007. Regionally, home values declined in 95 of the 156 of the metropolitan statistical areas tracked by Zillow, while 39 metros showed increases; 22 remained flat. Some of the nation's hardest-hit areas showed signs on life: In Miami, home values were flat on a monthly basis while Phoenix and Detroit both saw monthly gains of 0.2 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively.

Check out the nine markets tracked by Zillow that saw the largest year-over-year home value increases from Oct 2010 to Oct 2011. Half are in the Midwest, which was not as intensely affected by the real estate boom -- and subsequent bust -- as other parts of the country.