The disappearing “For Sale” signs

Earlier this year, “For Sale” signs sprouted in front of eight houses in my neighborhood. Today, all but one of those signs are gone.

Problem is, most of those neighbors never sold their houses. They just gave up.

To me, that sums up today’s residential real estate market pretty well. I live in a safe neighborhood, one with good schools, plenty of parks and a busy downtown business district. When I first moved here, a little more than two years ago, buyers snapped up homes often within two or three days of them going on the market.

Today? Houses sit. Even nice ones. Even ones priced well.

And the ones that are overpriced? Forget it.

The good news, and it’s just the tiniest glimmer of good news, is that some real estate experts are saying that we’ve either reached the bottom or are very close to the bottom of the real estate slump. The market, they say, should begin its slow, gradual turnaround.

Of course, for those people who tried, and have given up, on selling their homes, this turnaround can’t come soon enough.