Signs point to a strengthening housing market in much of the the Washington region, but experts warn the recovery will wane when hit with a second round of foreclosures and the end of a hefty tax credit for first-time buyers.

The gains parallel a more robust market nationally, revealed in Tuesday’s release of the pending home sales index by the National Association of Realtors. The index, a leading indicator of actual sales, was up nearly 7 percent nationally from June 2008, and up almost 4 percent from May.