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As prices continued to decline during the fourth quarter of 2011 in most metropolitan areas of the U.S., housing affordability rose due not only to the lower prices but also because of record low interest rates . The National Association of Realtors® released its Housing Affordability Index (HAI) including a new annual metro-level housing affordability index which shows historically favorable conditions dominating across the country. The median price of an existing single-family home rose in 29 out of 149 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. Prices were unchanged in two MSAs and fell in 118. The national median existing home price was $163,500 in the fourth quarter compared to $170,600 one year earlier, a decrease of 4.2 percent...()