When we started house hunting back in February, I thought for sure we could get a deal with all of the doom and gloom talk of a slow buyer's market. Not so! Several houses we saw in the UC/WP area were under contract within a week, and many sold above asking price with multiple bids. I started a thread about it here. Ultimately, we paid above asking price for our home and believe that we got a really good deal, based on comps on our block.

I have two young, professional friends who recently purchased homes as well--one in NC, and one in DC. I know several more who are looking to buy in the next few years in Philly and elsewhere.

I realize this is anecdotal information, but I think a lot of the doom and gloom stuff doesn't apply to all sectors of the housing market. I think it depends on the area of the city you're talking about, too.