Some real estate agents in the Washington region say buyers are becoming more optimistic about the housing market again.

Jessica Forres reports....



Open house signs line the front lawn of a bungalow in Silver Spring, Maryland. Inside, Michele Topel, a real estate agent, waits in the living room for prospective buyers. She is confident the 350,000- dollar house will sell. She says buyers are back...

I’M SEEING PEOPLE WHO CONSIDERED JUMPING INTO THE HOUSING MARKET NOW FINALLY COMING IN, ACTUALLY BUYING AND WRITING CONTRACTS.

Though six months ago that wasn’t the case….

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SCARY, I’VE BEEN IN REAL ESTATE FOR TWENTY YEARS AND I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE… WE WERE REALLY WORRIED.

The recent influx of buyers, she believes, is a result of historically low interest rates and tax incentives.

I THINK THAT PEOPLE REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN A UNIQUE SORT OF WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW THAT MAY NOT EXIST IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.

Across town in Bethesda, Maryland, another real estate agent, Ana Barbosa..

[NAT: HERE WE HAVE A SOFA,]

It's a six bedroom Dutch Colonial House priced a little over a million dollars. She is also confident about the real estate market.

I THINK THE MARKET IS ACCOMODATING ITSELF TO THE ARTIFICIAL BUBBLE THAT WE HAD FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS OR SO.

That's good news for buyers. Both realators say a few years ago their houses would probably have sold for more than their listed today.

- SO DO YOU THINK WE’VE HIT THE BOTTOM
- YES
- ABSOLUTELY, I THINK WE HIT THE BOTTOM TWO MONTHS AGO

Real estate agent Topel says the greatest demand is for houses priced below 6-hundred thousand dollars.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News