Housing prices are showing some signs of stabilization.

 Chicago area home prices rose in August from July, the fourth month in a row. That’s according to the Case-Shiller index compiled by Standard & Poor’s. But those gains are small compared with how much prices have dropped since a peak in 2006. Maureen Maitland is a vice president with Standard and Poor’s.

MAITLAND: We went down more than 30 percent on a national level peak to trough and people are beginning to realize that houses are affordable and are getting back into the market at this point.

Maitland says the federal government’s homebuyer tax credit may be helping to spur demand. She cautions prices may fall again after the credit expires next month and if unemployment continues to rise.