What do you see in your housing market this weekend? Cancelled projects? "The Penfield, an upscale condominium project that was to be downtown St. Paul's first residential high-rise in more than 20 years, is the latest casualty of the condo market meltdown. The Penfield condos were priced from about $200,000 to more than $1 million."

"That market dried up because people have not been able to sell their houses for as much as they would like. 'There's a group of people out there that will move to the downtowns and will still live in a condo, they're just not doing it right now,' said Mary Bujold of a Minneapolis-based market research company."

"Building work on a 135-home housing development has 'slowed down' while bosses 'assess the market.' Liverpool-based McInerney Homes started construction on its Belgrave Mill development in September 2006. So far, 44 of the 135 homes set to be built on the site have been completed."

"The firm has launched a new marketing campaign which promotes the homes as 'ideal pads for lads and girls.' McInerney is offering a 'lads' pad' with an LCD TV, games console, stereo, DVD player and Espresso machine. And there's a 'girls' pad' which includes a karaoke machine, hair straighteners, foot spa, stereo and pink kitchen pack."

Off-beat bubble zones? "Through May of this year, existing single-family homes in Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo and Dilworth spent an average of 77 days on the market before selling. That's up from 71 days in 2006, 66 days in 2005, 62 days in 2004 and 56 days in 2003 - a period that Brenda Martinson, president of the F-M Area Association of Realtors, called 'almost a feeding frenzy' for homebuyers."

"When inventory is limited and the market is robust, homes priced in the proper target range will sell quickly. 'Unlike today, where they really have to be show-ready and priced in the market,' Martinson said. 'They can't just speculate and hope.'"

"With a larger supply of homes and about a 7 percent increase in average sales price from last year, the summer selling season that likely won't take off in other parts of the country already is well under way in Midland."

"'We're a hot market in the country,' said Carroll Nall, member services director of the Permian Basin Board of Realtors. 'We've got people from all over trying to get in here and get a piece of this.'"

"There are about 418 units for sale in the area this week, Nall said, up from closer to 250 at this time last year."

"The average price for homes sold in Midland-Odessa in May was $169,700, according to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. Compared to last year when average home prices increased by nearly $35,000 from May 2006, prices are starting to level off and increase at more normal rate, according to local agents."

"'It was just a little bit more difficult to find something and made the prices go up rapidly, which is not good,' said Dene Kelly with Dene Kelly Inc. Realtors."

Bubble fallout? "In the latest sign of troubled economic times, some communities across the Commonwealth are struggling to cobble together the private donations necessary to throw Fourth of July celebrations."

"The telephone rang at Nancy Hurst's desk in Abington Town Hall one morning this week, and Hurst had her reply ready. 'No,' she told the caller. 'They're canceled.'"

"Hurst, an administrative assistant for the town, hung up the phone and sighed. 'That's about the 10th call today,' she explained, and it wasn't even lunchtime."

"'It's the economy, stupid.' That's what it is. This is all a reflection of the poor economy going on right now,' said Herb Lemon, chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Bridgewater. 'You drive by gas stations and look at prices that leap right out at you. You go into supermarkets - the prices are up there, too. Foreclosures are at high levels. It is the economy. I don't think I'm going out on a limb in saying that.'"

Or housing humor? "It's a tradition people across the country still partake in each week. 'They come and have a good time," said Bob Joyce, general manager of a comedy theater and restaurant in Tampa.'"

"Comics, known to make light of bad moments, flip the coin on these situations to get a laugh. After all, comedy streams from tragedy, Joyce said. 'We can't have one without the other,' he said."

"When Les McCurdy, owner of McCurdy's Comedy Theatre and Humor Institute in Sarasota, opens a show, he'll ask who's new to his theater, which is sometimes followed by, 'Don't you have a condo to unload? Let's get rid of that thing.'"