WHAT'S THE NEWS?: Home prices edged up in December, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday. It's the seventh straight monthly gain for the closely-watched index. Analysts think the trend is proof that the housing market is becoming more stable, though another small dip in prices could take place this year.

WHERE'S IT HAPPENING?: Only five of 20 cities in the index showed declines from November to December. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area was one of those places. Home prices slid 0.6 percent from November. Don't worry, though, because economists say local prices are stabilizing because monthly drops are small and even have increased some in recent months.

Prices dipped in key markets such as Miami, New York and Chicago. Los Angeles and Phoenix posted the largest price increases.

WHAT'S NEXT?: Obstacles that could derail the recovery include a drop in consumer confidence, high foreclosures and the end of two federal tax credits for homebuyers in April.

A staff and wire report