"Won't you be my neighbor" was a famous saying of that other Mr. Rogers, the one our children loved to listen to when they were small.

I thought of this statement from one of my favorite people, even if I can't claim him as a relative, when I recently read in the media that the median price of a home in the St. Louis area had dropped in the third quarter of this year. I sat there reading information that, while correct, did not tell the whole story.

I sat there sadly realizing too many families will read this and get scared. These families, unfortunately, will miss a great opportunity to be someone's new neighbor and raise their family in their own corner of the American Dream.I think we all remember Mark Twain's famous quote about statistics, but in this case nobody lied. In fact, the statistics quoted came from a very reliable source - the National Association of Realtors. It seems, however, that no one looked behind the statistics.

While overall in the St. Louis area the median price declined slightly, on the Missouri side of the Mississippi the median price actually increased in the third quarter of this year. The whole story is that the median home price on the Missouri side of the St. Louis area increased by 1.6 percent in the third quarter of this year versus the same period one year ago.

You may be thinking, "1.6 percent is nothing to brag about." I would respectfully have to disagree with you. Since early last year, the national media has been singing an unending chorus of gloom and doom. They have behaved like Chicken Little running around screaming that the sky is falling. Sadly, they have done a good job of convincing the families of America that the bottom has fallen out of the real estate market.

When I tell customers, clients and members of the media the truth about the market, they seem surprised by the fact that homeowners in St. Charles County can generally sell their home for more today than they paid for it. Your place to call home remains the best long-term investment available to your family.

Yes, in some parts of our country, real estate has declined in value from the record high of the last couple of years. Remember, "all real estate is local," and here in St. Charles County property values remain solid. Yes, we have returned to a "normal" market from the recent record highs, but our market continues to hold steady. Plus, a normal market is a great time to buy a home.

Let me share with you a few facts that the national media is missing and some reasons why you shouldn't wait if you want to be somebody's new neighbor.

A normal market means stable prices and slow but steady growth, and this is good news for both buyers and sellers. After all, most sellers become buyers when their house sells. A normal market also provides buyers with a larger selection than usual to choose from. A normal market also is good for the local economy, and this is evident by the St. Louis area's stable and steady employment growth.

Thanks to the stable market and recent Federal Reserve rate cuts, mortgage rates are near-record lows. Today, your Realtor can help you find a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage with an interest rate of about 6 percent. Plus, don't believe what you hear about mortgage money drying up. If you have adequate income and good credit, plenty of affordable mortgage money is available to finance your dream home.

So, let's review the facts about our St. Charles real estate market:

A new home remains the best long-term investment available to your family.

The St. Charles County market continues to grow at a steady and sustainable pace.

A normal market has produced stable prices and a large selection to help buyers find their dream home.

Mortgage financing is available and affordable with near-record low interest rates.

When you review the facts, I can ask only one question: What are you waiting for? There is no reason to wait to buy your new home. If you don't make 2008 the year you buy, you may miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to afford your new home. If you wait, some other family will celebrate next Christmas in what should have been your corner of the American Dream.

As we go into the holidays, I must ask in the immortal words of that other Mr. Rogers, "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Don Rogers is president of the St. Charles County Association of Realtors. E-mail him at comments@StCharlesREALTORS.com if you have any real estate-related questions or comments you would like to see addressed in this column.