Can You Afford it Now?

Peter Hong:

We've pretty much blown through the first couple of stages of grief with regard to the Southern California housing bust.

There's no room left for denial now that home prices in the Southland are down 44% from their peak in 2007, and there's not much use for anger.

Now we're bargaining.

Previously stubborn sellers are dropping listing prices and banks are increasingly agreeing to "short sales," in which a home is sold for less than the amount of its mortgage.