By Dean Baker

Recent data showing housing prices rising at their fastest rate since the collapse of the bubble have many people asking whether we are seeing another bubble. That is a good question.

At the national level the answer would almost certainly be "no." Different indexes show slightly different stories, but inflation adjusted house prices nationwide are still down by roughly a third from their bubble peaks. This means that house prices may be slightly above their long-term trend level, but close enough that no one could say they are out of line with the fundamentals of the housing market. That doesn’t mean that there can’t be a dip, but there is no reason to expect another plunge like the 2007-2009 collapse that threw us into recession.

Cause for concern

While house prices nationally may not be out of line with fundamentals, there are serious grounds for concern in many local markets. House prices have been rising at an extraordinary pace in many markets and may soon be

The most famous fast-food restaurants are burger joints: McDonald’s (MCD), Wendy’s (WEN), Burger King (BKW). But Americans have been in the mood for something different lately, and many of the trendiest quick-serve restaurants indulge that desire for variety, novelty and healthier eating.

Like other parts of the lackluster economy, restaurant industry sales have been growing slowly. So new chains hoping to become the next Five Guys or Chipotle (CMG) have garnered attention with standout food, flashy preparation and an eye-catching atmosphere. It also doesn’t hurt, of course, if a meal seems like a bargain.

To identify some of the most promising up-and-coming fast-food chains, Yahoo! Finance teamed with Technomic, a Chicago food-industry research firm that tracks more than 2,000 chains. Technomic sorted its data to highlight firms with annual sales between $3 million and $25 million and more than 10 outlets at the end of 2012. Among those, here are the fastest-growing chains that could