The Best Performing Housing Markets In The Last Year (PHOTOS)

Before you get too excited about a nationwide housing recovery, let's remember that "best" in this case is a relative term.

If your local housing market was flat over the last 12 months, consider yourself lucky. Only six of the 20 major real estate markets covered in the widely-watched Case-Shiller index showed positive year-over-year gains. Overall, the 20 cities are down an average of 3.1 percent over last year. And, nationally, prices are still off about 30 percent from their 2006 peak.

But a handful of markets, including Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, are actually showing modest year-over-year growth in home values. (Check out the worst performing housing markets in the last year here.)

Which housing markets are showing signs of growth -- or at least showing slower declines? Check the latest data from the Case Shiller Index.