A potential Buyer named Penelope (named after Penelope Pitstop?) asked this question on Trulia Voices this week and she got this response from me, in addition to 11 other answers...here's an edited version... Yes, Atlanta is a declining market. Steve in Rohnert Park is right and better data sources than Case Schiller back up that roughly 10% decline. My latest advisory letter from Steve Palm states - for a broad "metro Atlanta" market - the word "decline" 14 times. If he put the bottom line up front then you would read this: "Oil prices have been falling and the government is doing their best to stabilize our financial markets. In order for a housing uptick to occur in 2009 oil has to fall and stay down and the financial markets must have the ability to finance home mortgages." That being said, here is Steve Palm's September 21 letter in it's entirety... … [Read more...]

Frontdoor is the web franchise of the phenomenally successful Home and Garden Television network. The website has been live for about 5 months or so, and it is still in Beta. Nevertheless, it's media rich and loaded with bright insights on residential real estate. Great domain name too! This article on real estate trends is timely and indisputable. It is a must read and it is loaded with links to many other pertinent articles that take each trend to a deeper level of understanding. My third favorite trend is trend #10: Flipping is out, buying and holding is in.   Falling prices and a large inventory of unsold homes mean there are more potential bargains out there. Real estate investors are taking advantage of current conditions, knowing that a down market is the best time to get a good deal.   My second favorite trend is trend #6: Urban areas are making a comeback.   The U.S. experienced a mass exodus to the 'burbs after World War II, but homebuyers are now … [Read more...]