US home prices fell in December - S&P/Case-Shiller

NEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The prices of existing U.S. single-family houses extended their slide in most regions in December, trimming annual price gains, according to an index of major metropolitan areas.

The composite month-over-month Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index of 10 metropolitan areas declined 0.8 percent to 222.01, unchanged year-over-year, S&P said on its Web site on Tuesday.

The composite month-over-month Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index of 20 metro areas showed a 0.7 percent drop in December, a 203.07 reading, and a 0.5 percent year-over-year gain.

U.S. home prices rose 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006 versus the same quarter a year earlier, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller National Index.

U.S. home prices were down 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter versus the previous quarter, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller National Index.