The Daily Democrat reports from New Hampshire. "Strafford County has seen a significant increase in the amount of property foreclosures in the last three years, and there may be more to come. Numbers released by the Registrar of Deeds show 167 foreclosures through Nov. 1. At the same time in 2005 and 2006 there were a total of 33 and 92, respectively."

"State officials say this problem isn't limited to the county but is widespread across the state and country. 'The numbers aside, there's no secret there's some sort of mortgage and foreclosure crisis going on,' said New Hampshire Banking Commissioner Peter Hildreth."

From WCVB TV in Massachusetts. "NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu said that experts on Beacon Hill are predicting a $1.3 billion deficit next year, as local cities and towns are getting worse news from the other end of their revenue base: The sales of homes."

"Numbers are so bad, that many town officials said that they don't see any relief in the near future."

"Lynn Silva, who's been selling real estate for over a decade, said she's selling about half the number of houses she sold last year. 'Home sales have been sitting a year for some people, more than a year for other people. Prices have been coming down. Slower and still nothing selling,' Silva said."

"Compounding the problem for homeowners trying to sell is predictions from economists that housing prices in Massachusetts will drop another 5 percent through the middle of next year. 'Because it will make people wait a little longer. There are a lot of people out there looking. They're just not buying,' Silva said."

"Last week, owners of some homes dropped their asking price yet again, but Silva fears there is no more room for compromise for some sellers. 'Because then she's not going to get what she paid for it,' Silva said."

From Newsday in New York. "There's a 15.2-month supply of properties for sale on Long Island and in Queens, up from 11.6 a year ago, according to the October data released Tuesday by the MLS of Long Island."

"October's median price for closed deals was $429,500, a 2.4 percent drop from the $439,900 median of October 2006."

"'There's about a three-month delay between the time that you make a contract to sell a house and the time it actually results in a closing,' said Robert Campbell, professor of real estate finance at Hofstra University. He said the gap between the current market and the closing prices exists because the subprime collapse only occurred in August."

"Overall, the median price that sellers wanted for their homes went down 3 percent from $510,000 in October 2006 to $495,000 last month. In Suffolk, it went from $449,000 last year to $424,900 in October. In Nassau, it dropped from $550,000 to $516,000. In Queens, the desired median was $575,000 a year ago and $570,000 last month."

"Some agents say that's not enough of a decrease. But their homeowner clients insist on getting their money back on renovations. 'I don't care if you lined your walls with 20-karat gold. You're not going to get your money back,' said Renie Vloutely, an agent in Lake Ronkonkoma."

The New York Sun. "With international buyers helping to buoy the New York market and isolate it from the nationwide drop in prices, the city's real estate brokerage firms are joining international broker networks, exhibiting properties at property shows abroad, and advertising in publications in other countries to lure even more foreign money."

"'America is on sale for now,' the CEO of Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy, David Michonski, said. 'It doesn't look like that's changing for at least another year.'"

"'There is a lot of hysteria about real estate right now, but the foreigners come at this with a better perspective,' Mr. Michonski said. 'They know that the time to buy a straw hat is in January, not June.'"

The Philadelphia Daily News from Pennsylvania. "Housing prices dropped citywide in Philadelphia for the first time in five years in this year's third quarter, according to a study. The study also said home foreclosures in Philadelphia rose to more than 900 in July, August and September, about 50 percent higher than in 2005, while nearly 3 percent of households were delinquent in mortgage payments."

"Philly still has a big inventory to sell down, said Kevin Gillen, author of the study and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Fewer than 6,000 homes were sold in the third quarter, the fewest since the same period in 2003, leaving nearly 12,000 units still for sale."

"'Until we work out all that inventory, house-price appreciation doesn't look to resume anytime soon,' Gillen said."

"'The national trends have finally caught up with us,' Gillen said. 'If history is any guide, then just as the recent boom market lasted several years, then so too should the bust.'"

"Heather Petrone, president of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors, said that homes in the $250,000 range in the northwest part of the city, where she is based, have been moving steadily, but that buyers have been insisting on concessions, and sellers have been more willing to sit down and talk."

"'This is a normalizing market, where you have give and take,' she said."

"In the third quarter, mortgage foreclosures in Philadelphia rose to more than 900 homes, about 50 percent higher than in 2005, Gillen said. He said the steepness of the decline in University City was in part explained by the fact that the price appreciation there over the last five years was the highest in the city."

"'We were late to the boom, and now we are late to the bust,' Gillen said. 'I consider this more symbolically important. Housing prices [in Philadelphia] have doubled over the past five years.'"

From Metro Philadelphia. "The bubble isn’t exploding in Philadelphia’s real estate market like it has elsewhere, but it’s starting to deflate. Home prices in the city are on the decline for the first time in five years, according to a quarterly report released this week by Wharton economist Kevin Gillen."

"Q: Why is Philly’s market finally starting to catch up to the national slowdown? A: As far as housing cycles go, prices are usually the last thing to change. As I say, 'trying to figure out where the housing market is going by looking at price trends is kind of like driving your car by only looking in the rearview mirror.'"

"'You have to look at sales volume. ... The thing that really started to indicate things were slowing down is the number of homes waiting to be sold started to bloom.'"

"Q: What about people that bought their homes during the boom expecting to be able to sell them at a profit a few years later? A: 'I don’t like to give anyone bad news. I can tell you the next few years don’t look like they’ll be anything like the last few years. I would not expect the market to rescue you. People have to realize that the past few years were a real anomaly in terms of market conditions. We’ve now reverted to reality.'"

The Cape Gazette from Delaware. "Prime, luxury-housing developments along the Atlantic Ocean seem little affected so far by the housing market downturn, but state officials say home foreclosures are slowly creeping toward the beach."

"'It’s starting to move toward the beach. People are suffering all over with the same problems. The assets are not as liquid as they once were,' said state Banking Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Gerry Kelly. 'Overall prices are still high, but the inventory is also high unless you’re in a prime market. Whether it’s investor-driven foreclosures or homeowner-driven, we’re looking into that.'"

"'Some investors may be overextended, but that may become clear over the next year or so. They’re not seeing the profits,' he said."

"Association President Rob Harman said the growth in the Cape Region is a double-edged sword. 'Sussex County growth is like it’s never been, but we’re suffering from our own success. Income has not kept pace with real estate prices,' said Harman."

"The median-priced home is about $260,000, but local residents with dual incomes only make about $50,000 a year, he said. 'We need to put resources together to bring those two ends together,' said Harman."

The News Post from Maryland. "The promise of stilling the hammers and preserving open space swept this slow-growth board into office, but some residents question why they keep hearing the steady bang, bang, bang of residential building. Especially when the housing market has dipped to a 12-year low."

"'Why are they still building more new homes in Frederick County at the same time there is a high of 20+ foreclosures in the FNP?' asked one reader this week."

"About 2,400 homes are for re-sale in the county, while another 26,319 are in the wings at various stages of the development process. Of those, 11,534 must still pass the APFO test."

"Areas facing the largest influx of new homes include Frederick (8,392), New Market (7,735) and Urbana (5,545,) while Middletown, Thurmont and Walkersville have the fewest units planned in the county."

"Left up to Commissioner Lennie Thompson, dozers would be rusting in their tracks. 'Give me three solid votes and we can place a moratorium on all major residential subdivisions in the entire county, including within municipalities,' he says."

"A more cautious Commissioner Jan Gardner tempers Thompson's pronouncement by pointing out the legal challenges inherent in stopping projects in progress, and the fact that the county has limited ability to intervene in municipal decisions."

"Moratoriums, she says, which are temporary, can only be enacted when there is a justifiable risk to the public health, safety and welfare. Some might argue that there is justification, but the debate hasn't really picked up any steam."

"'The last board did leave us with a big mess and a lot of zoned land that we cannot support with infrastructure or services,' she says."

The Baltimore Sun from Maryland. "A controversial proposed 23-story condominium tower at the heart of redevelopment planned for downtown Columbia may be in jeopardy as its developer struggles in a challenging condo-building market."

"Florida-based WCI Communities Inc. insists that the project is solid despite financial problems that caused it last week to announce 575 job cuts -- about a quarter of its work force. 'We're going to move ahead and are moving ahead with the project,' said James P. Dietz, WCI's chief financial officer."

"But fresh questions about the feasibility of the Plaza Residences project near the downtown lakefront have come as WCI said more people are backing out of commitments to move into its existing condo towers and the company reported third-quarter losses."

"'I would be shocked if WCI could actually go forward with that tower in Columbia, Md.,' said Susan Berliner, an analyst at Bear Stearns Co. who follows the company and the homebuilding sector. 'To me, there's no way it's going to get built.'"

"Berliner said that WCI did not mention the Columbia Plaza Residences project as one of the towers it has in the works during recent conference calls with stock analysts to discuss the company's performance."

"'Everyone is just waiting to see what's going to happen with them,' she said. 'WCI can't continue to exist in their current form.'"