0.6 percent

Year-over-year increase in the latest Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index. The modest gain for February 2010 over February 2009 represents the first uptick for the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index since December 2006. Still, home prices in 11 out of 20 markets that make up the 20-City Composite declined.

"While the year-over-year data continued to improve for 18 of the 20 [metropolitan statistical areas] and the [10-City and 20-City] composites, this simply confirms that the pace of decline is less severe than a year ago," said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at Standard & Poor's, in a news release. "It is too early to say that the housing market is recovering."

—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new home but won't be able to take advantage of the federal government's tax credit for first-time home buyers, look into one real-estate company's Buyer Bonus Sales Event.