"Buyers' market, but few buyers found"  

It's still a buyer's market, say local Realtors. 

Trouble is, not many folks are buying. The Oconee Tax Assessor' office posted $11.32 million in home and land sales in February. That is slightly less than 1 percent increase over February 2007, and a slightly less than 1 percent increase over January, 2008. "I think it is a great time to be buying," said Susan Mosley of Remax Top Performers. "The prices are coming down, and the interest rates are great."  

February sales a year ago totaled $11.8 million, down dramatically from February 2006 when sales totaled $17.28 million. That February 2006 figure included two large commercial land transactions totaling $5.5 million. 

Subtracting commercial and institutional transactions, residential home and land sales were $8.89 million in February, down 8.3 percent from $9.69 million in 2007. Residential sales were $11.08 million in February 2006. 

Realtors are reluctant to forecast a repeat of last year. 

"Hopefully, things will turn around a bit," said Jerri Stracener, another Remax real estate agent. "But it certainly seems that builders are not building much." 

The real estate market is not quite as attractive for entrepeneurs, either. 

Those people who jumped into the profession expecting to sell two or three houses a year, sometimes based on notoriety, have discovered that it is not as easy as it looks, certainly not in today's real estate market. 

"This is not fun," said one Realtor. "It is a hard job." 

Mosley said, "I have been in the business a long time. I have seen this cycle time after time. Right now, it is weeding out a lot of the new agents." 

If recent history is an indicator, home sales should begin to escalate. Spring is traditionally the beginning of the home-buying season. 

"My phone is ringing more now," Mosley said. "I've talked to other agents who say they have started to get more calls. 

"From a buying standpoint, it is a great time to buy," she continued. "If you have a good, stable job and good credit, this is the time." 

Looking at figures from the last 12 months as a whole, the county has reported $196.2 million in home and land sales, down 21 percent for the 12-month period ended a year ago this month. 

"I have several people wanting to move up," Mosley said, "once they sell their house."

BLAKE GILES, APRIL 10, 2008. THE OCONEE ENTERPRISE