The Augusta-Aiken area is one of the few metropolitan areas in the nation bucking the trend of lower house prices.

Since the area wasn't overpriced by speculation, prices remain steady.

Abundant land, labor and building materials help keep local real estate priced well below the national average. The average home sale price in the area in 2008 was $156,594, according to the Greater Augusta Association of Realtors, compared with the $200,500 national median reported by the National Association of Realtors. The median price in Aiken County was $148,000, according to the South Carolina Association of Realtors.

With more homes for sale, builders are starting to cut back. New home construction, as measured by single-family permits filed with Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties, was down 37 percent in the first 11 months of 2008 compared with 2007.

Many of the area's homes are fairly new; Census figures show that nearly one of every four homes in the market was built after 1990.

Most of the growth is in Aiken and Columbia counties, though the more urbanized Richmond County has growth potential in undeveloped areas in the south region.

Many families are drawn to Columbia County for its schools, often considered among Georgia's best. Aiken appeals to retirees, most of whom are from cold-weather, high-cost areas in the Northeast.

Though prices vary widely according to house style and community, Columbia County has the most expensive homes, with a median price of $170,500, compared with Richmond County's $103,650, according to the Greater Augusta Association of Realtors.

Property taxes also can vary. In Richmond County, for example, a homeowner could pay from less than $1,000 to more than $2,000 in annual taxes for a $100,000 home.

Supported by institutions including Fort Gordon and the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta's rental market is steady.

Ranging from townhomes to downtown lofts, rent for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that is about 1,000 square feet runs roughly $545 to $900 per month.