According to the 1st quarter local sales report, there is a lot of volatility in the real estate market right now.  This shouldn’t really come as too much of a shock, however, because increasing numbers of people are shying away from banks due to the fact that they think they won’t get the loans that they need to purchase a house.  The Raleigh area is one of the few areas in the United States at the moment that has not really been affected too badly by the recent housing market crisis.  In fact not that long ago, we had several cities and towns named among the top 20 places to live in the United States.  These towns included: Apex, Holly Springs, Cary and Charlotte.  Not bad for North Carolina! So, what is part of the appeal in moving down here?  Well, for starters, the weather is not too hot and not too cold, the people are friendly and you have your choice of the mountains, the piedmont or the beach!