We often talk about the U.S. housing market as a whole, but as we all know, real estate is local. Here's a look at home sales reports from across the U.S. -- prices and sales are actually up in some locales:
Dallas
For the first five months of this year, existing-home sales are 24 percent below last year for the same period. Prices have fallen 4 percent to $139,500.
Manhattan
Prices are said to be down about 30 percent below levels from a year ago, but brokers are reporting an uptick in buyer interest and activity. Buyers are now "willing to step up to the plate," the New York Times quoted one broker.
Phoenix
The median sale price rose 3 percent in April from May to $130,000, while sales rose from 8,690 to 8,156.
The existing-home median price remained steady at $120,000, while the median price of a new home rose from approximately $205,000 to $216,000 -- area homebuilders have been offering aggressive incentives --as much as $200,000 off home prices in some cases -- to lure homebuyers, says AZCentral.com.
Santa Cruz County, Calif.
The median price for an existing home rose from $399,000 in March to $420,000 in April, but was significantly down from April 2008's median price of $661,000. However, sales were up 17 percent in April from April 2008.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Home sales rose 11 percent in April from April 2008, while the median price fell 23 percent from April 2008 to reach $135,200. Meanwhile, for Florida overall, home sales increased 18 percent in April from April 2008 and prices dropped 31 percent in the same period to $138,500.
—Lauren Baier Kim