Dive summary:

• The housing bubble burst with the loudest noise in several Western and Sunbelt states, and cities in those areas are among the biggest gainers now that a recovery is taking hold, according to data compiled by the National Association of Realtors.
• California, Florida and Nevada—all hammered hard—had nine of the 10 metro areas where the organization found the greatest growth in median home prices between the second quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of this year.
• The western region's growth was 18.2% and other sections were much lower, but the national average increase for the second quarter wound up being 12.2%.

From the article:

The turnaround has been driven by a combination of better job growth and a tight supply of homes for sale. There also has been a reduction in the number of foreclosures, which drag on prices.  ...