In fact, many of the Boston area's toniest suburbs saw significant prices gains in 2011. With the economy picking up again, and, more pertinently, hiring in big salary fields like biotech and high-tech leading the way, we can expect more of the same in 2012 for these towns.

Here are a few stats (from The Warren Group) to keep in mind.

• The median price in Lexington hit $704,500 by year end, a boost of just under $10,000 from 2010. That puts home prices in the town practically back to where they were in 2005, when the median sale price was $705,000.
• Newton also gained ground in 2011, with the median rising to $752,000 from $735,000 in 2010. That also puts Newton prices practically back at 2005 levels, when the median was $760,000
• Needham saw median prices jump by nearly $20,000 to just under $650,000 at the end of 2011, putting the town in striking distance of its 2005 median sale price of $663,750
• Wellesley saw its median price jump to $881,500 in 2011, a gain of about $15,000, though prices are still off by roughly $90,000 from 2005 levels.
• By contrast, more middling town and cities saw prices fall in 2011, though the declines may be at least showing signs of slowing and maybe stabilizing in 2012. It's a list that includes: Franklin, which saw a drop of about $10,000 to $365,000; Weymouth, which suffered a $32,000 drop, down to $260,000; Quincy, where median home prices fell to $300,000, a drop of just under $20,000; Braintree, where an $11,000 decline, down to $316,000; and Medford, which saw a $4,500 drop to $340,000.

I could keep going, but my fingers are getting weary. Happy Tuesday!