An update on New Jersey. "The real-estate market has been slowing dramatically. In Morris County, sales during the first two months of the year were off 16 percent, and the inventory of unsold houses leaped 61 percent. That's in line with figures for the entire state: sales down 14 percent, along with an increase in the unsold inventory of 61 percent."

"In Somerset County, the inventory of unsold houses climbed the most, to 103 percent; in Camden, the least, with 32 percent. The biggest fall in sales: Cape May County, with 41 percent; the least, Cumberland County, with a rise of 34 percent."

"The months supply of houses for sale indicates how formidable the inventory may be, and a six-months supply is considered normal. Morris County has a six-months supply, but Cape May has a 21 months supply, while Camden has only four months. The entire state has seven months."

And the Hartford Courant. "Turn down Scarborough Street in Hartford's upscale West End, and you can't help noticing four 'for sale' signs clustered together. 'It does look like, `What's going on here?' said Susie Hatch, an agent in West Hartford who has one of the listings. 'But it is just chance that they are for sale at the same time.'"

"There are seven homes for sale on Scarborough and Prospect that have list prices of $500,000 or more. The 'for sale' signs that have cropped up on Scarborough have become all the more noticeable because two have gone up within the past month and a half. And two of the properties are right across the street from the other two."

"There has been some slowing at the upper end of the housing market, and some of the homes for sale in the West End have dropped their asking prices. The owners of 1160 Prospect Ave. purchased the 21-room estate for $900,000 in 2000. Two years ago, they unsuccessfully tried to sell it for $1.9 million. The property was listed in November at $1.4 million."

"'It's slower at all price ranges,' (agent) Susie Hatch said. 'There are four or five houses for sale on one street that a year ago would have sold bing, bing, bing. But because there is so much more inventory, they are just sitting and sitting. It's going to take longer to sell these houses.'"

"And more competition means sellers need to be more realistic about prices, the agents said. 'This year, the pricing is so important. You can't just tack on 10 percent,' (agent) John Hoye said. 'That type of growth is behind us.'"