Durin g the housing boom of 2001 through 2006, the prices of single-family homes and condominiums shot up to amazing levels. I remember wondering, once the median sales prices of existing homes raced past the $200,000 mark, how were most people in the United States going to afford a home?

Few parts of the country have escaped the housing slump. Even in the usually steady Midwest, where I live, housing prices have been either stagnant or dropping. But few places have been hit as hard as California.

There are a lot of reasons to move to Las Vegas. If you’re looking to invest in residential real estate, though, you’d best stay away.

During this housing slump, we’ve all read that home prices across the country have fallen. But by how much have they dropped?

Most others, though, are not so lucky. Forbes.com recently ran a story by Elisabeth Eaves that reported what we all instinctively know: Traffic is getting worse in our major cities.

Forbes Magazine, one publication that truly loves its lists, recently released another one guaranteed to get people talking. This one highlights the 10 most expensive cities for renters.

Last week, the magazine published a report on what it calls the country’s 15 “blue chip” neighborhoods. Housing values in these most desirable of neighborhoods not only held held steady during the housing downturn, they actually increased.