Want to know where home prices will be rising in the coming months? No longer do you need to toss darts at a dart board or guess. Someone has actually created an index using the very, very freshest listing data combined with economic metrics to scientifically select tomorrow’s hot markets.

Every quarter Move, Inc. operator of Realtor.com, publishes the Top Turnaround Towns (There used to be ten’ we just expanded to 25). As a member of the team that created and updates this list, I’m always excited by the latest findings.

The latest list includes seven housing markets hit hardest by foreclosures – all from Florida – leading the nation towards a general housing recovery, while unexpected new comers in Michigan, Texas, Iowa and California are showing signs of strength and stability.

The list of Top Turnaround Towns, developed using year-over-year comparative data from the first quarters of 2012 and 2011, is led by Phoenix-Mesa, AZ, Miami, FL and Orlando, FL – three top foreclosure markets experiencing list price appreciation, along with reductions in inventories and their median age of inventory, all on a year-over-year quarterly basis. Other call out markets include Boise City, ID (4), which has been on the rise steadily since its debut at No. eight in the third quarter of 2011, and Naples, FL, which rose one spot from sixth to fifth in one quarter.

Noteworthy newcomers include Bay Area frontrunners Oakland, CA (6) and San Jose, CA (24), heating up as the nation watches the local hi-tech industry and upcoming Facebook IPO, and the Lone Star State markets of Dallas, TX (12) and Forth Worth-Arlington, TX (18). While Detroit, MI continues its struggle with high unemployment (10.2%), it landed in the 23rd position on the Realtor.com list with a 5.82% increase in list price appreciation, a -29.59% reduction of for sale inventory, and a market that’s moving 27.27% faster, all on a year-over-year quarterly basis.

“We continue to see signs of stabilization and recovery on the local level throughout the country, basing analysis on the real-time nature and accuracy of the Realtor.com data,” said Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Realtor.com operator, Move, Inc. “By all indications, the 2012 housing market is unfolding as we expected, and we’re encouraged with the progress local markets are making. However, much will depend on the continued health of our economy, specifically job rates, and how lenders will release their foreclosure inventories now that the 49 state AG Agreement has been signed. All of these key factors will determine how quickly our local housing markets recover and remain healthy.”