In Naperville perhaps the selling price of homes for the lastest month are down by 7.5% because of the forced installation of Smart Meters and the known affect it will have on electric rates based on country wide historical data? Many people look at utility costs as additional taxation, without representation, and act accordingly.

Hi Tommy O,
When you raise the cost of housing for no other real reason than to make cronies rich to solve a non-problem and in the process create a whole lot more problems it drives home sale prices down.

It has nothing to do with credibility but rather free market economics. Our city has a 13 million dollar short fall this year which means more taxes and higher service charges. The state is in even worse shape. Wait until after the Nov elections when they raise everything again. We'll be lucky if they sell any houses other then repos.

Thank you Gerard and Tommy for your comments. In today's real estate market there are many factors that have led to the decline in home values. To lay blame on any one thing is not a fair assessment of how the housing market as it stands came to be. My job as a real estate professional is to interpret the market so that consumers may make wise decisions in buying or selling properties. We are in unfamiliar territory because most of us are used to seeing housing prices rise. Very few of us remember when property values did not rise. Because fear has now permeated through our society some people are quick to lay blame on one thing or another. The truth is our current decline comes from a series of events that has been made worse by the media's misinterpretation of the facts. What you focus on will indeed come to fruition. Perhaps if we all worked together to re-build our economy, our neighborhoods and our lives we would see more positive results. We need to be part of the solution not part of the problem. Responsibility lies with each individual.