Home Sales Increase and The Weekend Poll

The best news coming out of the National Association of Realtors' monthly home sales report? The inventory of listings nationwide in June was down about 15 percent from a year earlier. The median price also happened to be down about 15 percent over the same period. Recovery can't happen until inventories are whittled down to more normal levels--closer to six months' supply vs. the 9.4-months' supply the nation has now, so this is a promising development.

Weekend Reading: The Post's Terri Rupar examines just what people are in for when they agree to buy a home "as-is." And Jonathan Starkey has suggestions on ways you can dress up your home for under a grand.

Chat day: The Real Estate Live chat starts at 1 p.m. today. If you can't make it then, be sure to submit your comments and questions early.

The Weekend Poll

This is a non-scientific user poll. Results are not statistically valid and cannot be assumed to reflect the views of Washington Post users as a group or the general population.