A housing report from the Philadelphia Inquirer. "When Jeremy Ross began condominium shopping last summer, he knew he had an edge. A sluggish market and cautious buyers had begun nudging developers into doling out incentives. Ross said that, going in, he knew that the developer 'needed me more than I needed him.'"

"He paid 8 percent less than the asking price on a penthouse at the Arch Street Exchange. He also haggled for free parking for a year at an adjacent garage, new windows, extra storage in the basement, and a later closing date."

"'If I wouldn't have got a fair deal, I wouldn't have done it,' he said. These days, buyers are often dictating what is 'fair.'"

"With condo prices down significantly for the first time in more than eight years, some developers are finding they have to be generous, cutting prices by thousands of dollars and throwing in all sorts of extras. Prices of comparable units in Center City fell 5.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the second quarter to the third, according to Kevin Gillen, a research fellow at the Wharton School."

"'This was the first significant down-tick we saw in the indices in the last eight years,' Gillen said."

"Some who watch the industry attribute the cooling market to an abundance of inventory. There were more than 2,000 units for sale in the third quarter in Philadelphia, Gillen said. That is more than double the number for sale in the same period a year earlier."

"'With the slowdown in the market, people had to become more realistic about pricing,' said (realtor) Joanne Davidow. Depending on the unit, Davidow said, prices have been slashed anywhere from $10,000 to $1 million."

The Daily Times from Maryland. "While the numbers of housing units sold in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties have dropped since last year, the amount of active inventory has almost doubled, said Kevin White, president of the Coastal Board of Realtors."

"'The market is about as confusing as I've ever seen it,' (builder) Tom Ruark said. 'Part of that is because it was the best market we've ever had. It was probably unrealistic to think that would continue.'"

"In Ocean City, building permits for new residential homes are down from last year, which is indicative of the housing market slowdown there, said Mike Richardson, building official for Ocean City. The town is usually insulated from a down turn, but now the housing market is saturated and people are holding their breath, Richardson said."

"'There's just an awful lot of units sitting out there in a price range of half a million and up,' Richardson said."

The Brown Daily Herald from Rhode Island. "While students on College Hill may pay little attention to the backdrop of constant construction in downtown Providence, some can remember when the cityscape was devoid of the several high-rises that have cropped up in recent months. Many of these projects are luxury condominiums and mixed-use spaces."

"While investors are optimistic, the constructions of these luxury units, coupled with the construction of new luxury units such as the Westminster Lofts and the Jefferson condominiums behind Providence Place, threaten to overwhelm the condominium market."

"Despite a recent downturn in housing prices and demand, Iselin said there is plenty of market demand for condominiums in the $300,000 to $2.5 million range, the anticipated cost of the new luxury units. 'I am convinced that we will be able to sell all of our units,' said Nicholas Iselin, for the Boston-based Intercontinental group, which is building Waterplace."

"'We know that the housing market is fluctuating and that some people have been talking about a decreased demand for housing, and that is bad news, but I am confident that the Providence market will more than absorb these units, ' said (developer) Ari Heckman."

"'Looking at what has happened (in the past few years), people are moving (to Providence) from the Boston area, Connecticut and New York,' said Thom Deller, director of Providence's Department of Planning and Development. 'I am sure the developers are convinced they will be able to move (their condominiums).'"