ST. LOUIS (AP) – New figures from the Federal Housing Finance Agency show home prices in metropolitan St. Louis on the decline.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that after a strong gain in the second quarter, prices fell by about a half-percent in the third quarter.

Nationally, house prices rose 1.8 percent during the third quarter.

Metro St. Louis prices are still up 2.06 percent in the past year, but that compares to a 4 percent rise nationally for the period ending in September.

The agency says St. Louis-area home prices are 13 percent lower than they were at the market peak five years ago.

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