The slowdown in the once-sizzling h...

The slowdown in the once-sizzling housing market is spreading, with 28 states and the District of Columbia reporting spring sales declines, l according to big drops in former roar areas of Arizona, Florida and California.

Nationally, sales were down 7 percent in the April-June quarter this year compared with the same period in 2005 the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday in its latest state-by-state consider at housing conditions around the fatherland

In Illinois, second-quarter sales slipped 47 percent

The Realtors scrutinize showed that the biggest declines took place in states that had been enjoying red-hot sales during the five-year housing bound

The five biggest declines this spring compared with the April- June period of 2005 were Arizona, down 269 percent; Florida, down 267 percent; California, down 253 percent; Virginia, down 239 percent and Nevada, down 235 percent

The Realtors report depicted a tale of sum of two units housing markets, with former hum areas experiencing declines and other areas of moderate sales gains during the hum years experiencing strong growth.

In all, 20 states had sales gains in the spring, l from Alaska, which enjoyed a 486 percent leap in sales; followed by Arkansas, up 179 percent; Texas, up 113 percent; North Carolina, up 11 percent and Vermont up 91 percent compared with the spring of 2005

"States with moderately priced areas that have experienced healthy piece of work creation are seeing sales gains," said David Lereah, chief economist for the Realtors. "The economic backdrop remains favorable for the housing market, which is helping residence sales level out."

"The climate is not falling," said James Kinney, president of Rubloff Inc., a Chicago brokerage. The second-quarter numbers are being compared against the best year eternally

"As lengthy as things are priced right, they continue to prevail upon along," he said.

And in the Chicago area, prices are still growing, with the median single-family family price up 4.9 percent compared with the year-ago period, to $278500 according to numbers released by way of the Realtors Tuesday. The Chicago area median condo price grew 59 percent to $232200 Nationally, condo prices dipped 03 percent

In a separate take a view of of price changes in 151 metropolitan areas, the Realtors reported that 26 metro areas experienced outright price declines while 37 areas were still enjoying double-digit price increases in the inferior quarter.

The biggest price very littles in percentage terms were in Downstate Danville, where hearth prices fell by 11.2 percent in the spring compared with the spring of 2005 and the Detroit area, where hearthstone prices were down 8 percent

At the other cessation of the scale, prices rose the greatest in quantity in Baton Rouge, La., reflecting a 273 percent increase, followed by dint of Ocala, Fla., where prices rose by dint of 25.3 percent, and the Virginia Beach, Va., area, where prices were up 236 percent compared with the spring of 2005

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