I know everyone is watching the stock market and the bail outs and thinking about what this is going to do to the Oklahoma real estate industry. Since none of us have a crystal ball, we have to rely on the latest statistics and hope for the best.

Here are some facts:

• Home values for the first eight months of the year are up 2.59 percent over the first eight months of 2007.
• Average price of a home sold so far this year is $143,966.
• Sales are down almost 14 percent for the first eight months.
• RealtyTrac has Oklahoma as 31st in the nation for foreclosures in August.
• The Oklahoma economy is strong.
• "When you see values continue to rise but the number of sales drop, it's an indication to me that people are looking at the national economic situation and that fear is stopping them from buying or selling locally," explained Lisa Yates, CEO of the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS®. "People should remember that real estate is local."