A report from the Marin Independent Journal in California. "California Association of Realtors chief economist Leslie Appleton-Young said the country is entering the 10th year of positive economic growth, but the pace of growth is decelerating. 'A shift is afoot,' said Appleton-Young. ' The question is, how long can the economy be strong if housing is not?'"

"Quoting C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer, she said, 'At some point a supply problem becomes a demand problem.'"

"With its strong economy and expansion of its tech sector, Appleton-Young believes the Bay Area is the most solid in weathering the changes. 'Silicon Valley is the hub of economic growth. You are it!' she exclaimed. 'Prices are not going down, they are just rising slowly. We are in a slow squeeze, but it’s not a cataclysmic. I don’t see the economy faltering.'"

"Summarizing the state of the market, Appleton-Young told Realtors, 'We’re going from great to good. It’s a change you have to talk about with consumers.' Expect a 7 percent pullback in sales next year, she said, noting Realtors need to counsel and educate consumers about the market. Since interest rates are rising, it is a good time to buy and it is a good time to sell."

"'Sellers need to be straight up with their price and not play games,' said Appleton-Young."

The Bay Area Newsgroup in California. "While the Federal Reserve rate hikes have rattled stock markets, that may indirectly benefit home buyers in a way by helping to tamp down rates for a loan. 'It’s nothing but good news for home buyers — assuming they didn’t lose their down payment because the market fell,' said Dick Lepre, senior loan adviser at RPM Mortgage in Alamo."

"Home sales, however, remained down in the West, where Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtors’ chief economist, said 'consumers have expressed the weakest sentiment about home buying, largely due to lack of affordable housing inventory.'"

"Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, said the general economic uncertainty has given buyers pause. 'At some point earlier this year — it may have been in reaction to the tax reforms, tariffs — people just started to go on the sidelines, buyers started to go on more of a wait-and-see attitude, even at the more entry level of the market,' she said."

"As Rick Smith, past president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, put it, 'they don’t want to be that guy buying a house at the high price.'"

"But with things so uncertain, agents are advising both buyers and sellers not to wait. Properties are sitting on the market longer, buyers are finding more sellers willing to negotiate on price. 'My current clients who are sellers, my advice to them is put it on the market and get it sold as soon as possible, because the next seller may have to sell property for less,' Smith said."

"John Espinosa, agent with Heritage Realty Group in Morgan Hill, said sellers’ willingness to negotiate prices has had a bigger effect on his buyers than recent swings in mortgage rates. 'Rates are still good, there are fewer buyers out shopping now, and sellers are willing to negotiate,' Espinosa said. 'Buyers are getting some pretty good deals now.'"

From NBC 16 in Oregon. "Higher interest rates from the fed and some other troubling signs have given the Lane County housing market a few jitters. But the experts say not to panic. Realty experts say the longer trend numbers carry more weight, than one month changes. And for home sellers?"

"'They are still in the driver seat but you have to do smart real estate,' said Marcia Edwards, a real estate broker in Eugene. 'Pricing is going to become strategic.' Edwards says it's just taking a little longer for some sales to happen."

"'A decrease is not necessarily bad,' said Edwards. 'In fact, it can be very good because what we're looking at is a sustainable marketplace. We've got in every transaction, we have a buyer and a seller.'"

"The drop was from $290,000 in October, to just over $277,000."

"What about those recent interest rate hikes from the fed? 'They've been a threat but they haven't had a big impact,' said Edwards. 'People that are refinancing have settled into their spot.'"

"Looking forward, Edwards says the still super-tight housing inventory is a big problem going in 2019. The total housing stock in Lane County would sell out in just over two months at the current sales pace."