As someone who has been looking to purchase a home for about 6 months now in Harford County, you're all wrong! Prices haven't fallen that steeply and sellers are holding out for the dream of some BRAC relocater to pay them more than their house is currently worth. In our range of affordability, if you see a house, you'd better put an offer in on it that day if you have a hope of getting it. In the $250,000 range, houses go quickly and when you work for a living and can only drive-by/visit homes on the weekend, it feels impossible some days. My hopes for house keys for Christmas have been crushed and our real estate agent (one of the top in the state) was as disappointed as we are. I guess it depends where you are though!

These figures are national, so certainly it will vary by location. We don't have good access to local new-home sales data -- that's not freely available, alas -- but I'd be very interested to hear more about your experiences. My email address is jamie (dot) smith (dot) hopkins (at) baltsun (dot) com.

As someone who's in the "looking" category, the term "grim" is certainly subjective; it is certainly not going to be grim to me when prices come down. :-)

A prospective buyer would think of housing boom news from earlier in the decade as "grim."

Please report on the local housing market. Baltimore is not South Florida... Baltimore has a bright future.... and YES, I am tired of your grim news.

Jamie, your reporting is lack luster and poor. It rarely if ever shows the true picture of Baltimore Real Eatate and the economy. I dare you to go to South Florida or the big Bubble states and try to compare those econmies to ours. You would be a fool to even try. Baltimore does not reley on $6 an hour jobs, or retirees - O'M has made sure of that... 20 somethings get out of college and can expect $40+k a year jobs, that does not happen in Florida or Arizona.

YES, we are tired of the you and L.M. repoting bad news. It often seems like you had a bad experience and report it as such. Baltimore is not a bad place, I don't care if you grew up in the 'burbs and have negative predisposition towards this city and if you are a "know it all." This town is going to make it with or without you.

Sorry to be a b**ch. But you and the unfriendly folk need to go back to the 'burbs. If you can't appreciate history, progression, environmental sound ways to lives, strong communities, than piss off. Yes, we are tired of it! It is a bore.

On the other hand you could stand strong and report on the good news... 1st of all we have more newly weds and parents in the city who pay high taxes and would like to stay but can't because of all the BS the Sun reports!

Tired of grim news? Nah, my schadenfreude level is about 3/4 full. This area is in decent shape compared to places like Tampa and San Diego

Catching up with comments:

Ron, I should have specified "grim" in the macroeconomic sense -- that economists fear a really sharp slowdown in sales could help trigger a recession -- but you're absolutely right that many buyers would rather see prices getting more affordable than less so!

Jeff, there seems no question that the Baltimore area is in better shape than hard-hit places in Florida and California. In fact, that's what I often compare us to when I point out that things are worse elsewhere. ;-)

Christian, ouch. I've got nothing against the city and can't think of a story I might have written that would give one that impression. I tend to report about the Baltimore region as a whole rather than the city vs. the suburbs, in any case.

@ Christian Dunn:
Please report on the local housing market. Baltimore is not South Florida... Baltimore has a bright future.... and YES, I am tired of your grim news.
You should considering reading specific reports on the future of Baltimore housing before making uneducated comments like that. Jamie’s reporting is very relevant!

Jamie, your reporting is lack luster and poor.
I find Jamie's reporting insightful and a lot better than mine or yours.

It rarely if ever shows the true picture of Baltimore Real Eatate and the economy.
The true picture is that median income family cannot afford the median priced home.

I dare you to go to South Florida or the big Bubble states and try to compare those econmies to ours. You would be a fool to even try.
No need to,
Shawn Tully at Fortune Magazine already did this for us and let us know that Baltimore IS ONE OF THESE BUBBLE PLACES, and so did
Goldman Sachs so keep preaching over at your blog that Baltimore is somehow different or was undervalued or this is some kind of new paradigm. The truth will be told in time.

Baltimore does not reley on $6 an hour jobs, or retirees - O'M has made sure of that... 20 somethings get out of college and can expect $40+k a year jobs, that does not happen in Florida or Arizona.

Oh and now bring up politics as if O’Malley had anything to do with the national housing bubble. Maybe you’re misinformed about Baltimore. http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/24/24510.html

Persons below the poverty line 21.5%
Median household income $29,792

If somebody goes to college in Florida or Arizona they can expect to make $40+K right out of college…also the cost of living in both Florida and Arizona is significantly lower than Maryland.

Hey Christian,

Since when does The Sun become the determining factor in people deciding to stay or move into the city? If anything, The Sun covers for the city and MOM more than anything else. Put the Green Kool-Aid down and get a clue. There has never been a blog where Jaime pits the city against the "dreaded burbs". Pointing out differences is not argumentative, unless you can't handle the facts. And before your knee jerk typing fingers start,,,,Yes, I lived and worked in the city for 10 years and rode a bike for the majority of those years.

Don't take any crap Jaime

From the Coldwell Banker website concerning Mr Dunn

"In 2003 he moved back to Baltimore to help promote the city as a Realtor, and through community enhancement projects."

So he's been a re-litter for a WHOLE FOUR YRS!! Of course he knows what's going on!

Kelly

Let's keep it clean people. And stop the anti-Christian comments. Mr. Dunn is one of the finest agents in the city.

"Git 'er Dunn, Christian!"

To all you Used Home salesmen or women out there, the game is over. Housing market is tanking, get a clue.