Real Estate: The best - and the worst - of 2007

It was a brutal year for housing - but not all markets are ailing.

By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Top 5 most expensive housing markets
City	Average price
Beverly Hills, CA	$2,206,883
Greenwich, CT	$2,018,750
La Jolla, CA	$1,800,000
Santa Monica, CA	$1,785,000
Palo Alto, CA	$1,687,000

Source: Coldwell Banker

1 of 9

Most expensive market

Beverly Hills, Calif.

Key stat: An "executive-type" four-bedroom, 2,200-square-foot home in Beverly Hills costs $2.2 million.

Beverly Hills, the most expensive housing market in the nation, according to the Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index, has been synonymous with wealth for decades. Film stars, software moguls and sportswear execs share its streets with millionaire merchants, oil sheiks and exclusive plastic surgeons.

Last updated December 28 2007: 2:29 PM ET

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