Washington, D.C. ? The rate of increase in U.S. home prices remained steady in the fourth quarter of 2006, extending the slowing trend that began earlier in the year, federal regulators reported Thursday.

The figures released by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight provided yet another indication of the slowdown in the once-booming housing market.

Average home prices rose 1.12 percent in the October-December period, compared with 3.03 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005, the report showed.