A housing report from Oregon. "At Northwest Crossing, construction crews are working at a torrid pace and literally laying a foundation for the future of Bend. with Brooks Resources Corporation describes Northwest Crossing. Already, 350 homes in Northwest Crossing have been sold, with another 100 expected to be snatched by buyers in the next year. Developer Mike Holleren says the master-planned community will have more than 700 new homes."

"Builders are cashing in, too. The Central Oregon Association of Realtors reports the median sale price for a home in Bend is $343,950 for the first half of 2006, a 33-percent jump from last year. Compared to Portland, the median home price in Bend is nearly $80,000 higher. In fact, Money Magazine listed Bend as the fifth most overpriced housing market in the country."

"'Prices have gotten a little higher maybe (than) they should have,' said Holleren. Holleren said the red-hot housing market was showing signs of slowing down. 'Right now the housing market is cooling,' he said."

The Columbian from Washington. "Clark County's housing market continued to cool in August with home sales down nearly 30 percent from sales in the same month last year. According to an appraisal firm in Vancouver, 944 new and existing homes sold last month compared with 1,331 homes in August 2005."

"Last month's sales decline continues to signal the end of the red-hot real estate market of the past three years and the ­return of a more normal market, said (broker) Scott Mikel in Vancouver. He said market conditions call for more patience on the part of sellers."

"The decline could reflect fewer buyers purchasing homes as investments, said Randy Hunzeker, president-elect of the 2,200-member Clark County Association of Realtors. 'The average buyer is still out there, but those who invested last year are now trying to sell and they're flooding the market,' said Hunzeker, an agent in Vancouver."

"While the median selling prices remained firm at $271,000, experts say prices could soften as the number of houses for sale climbs. 'Perhaps sellers have an unrealistic sense of what their house is really worth,' said broker Kathy Rylander. 'The higher prices have slowed, there's no question,' Rylander said."

"Mikel..agreed buying has cooled here and nationwide. 'We're doing OK,' Mikel said. 'Most of the people we sell houses to are people from outside the area coming here. I believe that will continue.'"