(MONEY Magazine) – House prices around much of the country have risen roughly 10% to 12% in the past year -- with two notable exceptions: prices melted in the Southwest, while they puffed up in the Northeast. For example, in depressed Dallas, the value of the basic three-bedroom home actually dropped $1,000, to $76,000, in the past 12 months. By sharp contrast, the same three-bedroom house costs $159,000 in Boston, up 31% for the year. And in New York City, that home rose to an astonishing $189,000, up 29%. But dessert time may not be over. Mortgage bankers report that anticipated rate decreases (see below) may drive up sales prices.

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