In particular, I wanted to see if Harrisburg has been unduly hit in the real estate market from all the drama this past year.

Turns out, things are down all over.

I pulled residential real estate sales data for selected urban areas around Central Pennsylvania, as represented by the chart. To no one's surprise, home sales are down since the unit sales peak in 2006. How much, though, was a bit of a shock to me. Lancaster was down 53 percent, Lebanon 50 percent, Reading 58 percent, Harrisburg also 50 percent, Carlisle 46 percent and York at 72 percent. No doubt these declines represent the broader market contraction in Central Pennsylvania, but I wasn't prepared for 50 percent-plus.

On the other hand, Harrisburg does not seem to have been unusually affected by the political and financial situation. Although looking at the chart's curve, one could make the case that a leveling occurring in 2009 was knocked down by the accelerating negative PR surrounding the city.

Overall, though, I think the trends are in the urban market's favor as we can see a leveling happening in the number of home sales within the past two years.

My hope for 2012 will be that the concerted efforts of downtown groups and the business community will yield the long-sought "new normal" of home ownership and trigger a reboot of the urban housing market for the net decade.

Jeff Geoghan is vice president of marketing and communications for Coldwell Banker Select Professionals and Select Services, based in Lancaster City, with 10 offices in eight Central Pennsylvania counties. Jeff lives in East Petersburg where he also serves as mayor. Jeff has been actively involved in local government and business and has been used as a source by local, regional and national publications.