US home prices rise in May for the 2nd month as tax credits attract more buyers

NEW YORK, N.Y. - U.S. home prices rose in May for the second straight month as federal tax incentives pulled more buyers into the market. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday posted a 1.3 per cent increase in May from April. Nineteen of 20 cities showed price gains month over month. San Diego posted its 13th straight monthly gain. Only Las Vegas recorded a price decline. The metro hit a new record low in May. Home prices there have lost 56.4 per cent of their value since peaking in August 2006. And while Detroit recorded