Housingwire cited statistics from Re/Max Wednesday that indicating home sales rose 13.2 percent in December after five consecutive months of declines. Compared to December, 2009 however, sales were five percent lower. From ground zero of the housing crisis, Re/Max found home sales in Phoenix were up more than twelve percent in December from a year earlier and in Tampa, sales rose more than seven percent.  Twenty eight of the 54 major metropolitan areas tracked experienced year-over-year appreciation, including Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Dallas-Fort Worth and New Orleans.