Buyers are wary this season in many areas of the country – where cooling prices remind them of housing busts of yesteryear.

Take Austin, Texas, for example. This area has seen an incredible 44 percent increase in total home sales numbers from last year. The median sale price now sits at $170,000 – a 15 percent increase. What does this mean for homeowners?

Do the laws of physics apply? What goes up must come down? Experts at CNN tend to think so, saying, “History seems to dictate that the current price boom is at risk.”

Back in the late 80's prices dropped an overwhelming 25.8 percent in Austin. This drop came over the course of only 4 years.

One economist noted, however, that unlike other areas – such as the state of Florida, which has seen double figure appreciation rates – Texas real estate seems to be on the straight and narrow. No bust is on the horizon. The downside of this? Texans are also not seeing the same rate of appreciation – meaning those looking to make quick returns when investing in real estate will find it a more difficult market.

Los Angeles, California, saw the same kind of dramatic drop in the early 90's as Austin. The average price fell 20.7 percent, from $222,200 to $176,300.

In the current market, our real estate experts are reporting that the market is not what it was even as recent as this summer. Sales continue to be brisk, but the turn in favor from sellers to buyers indicates that overpriced properties are stagnating on the market – and that increases of inventories are making it harder to sell quickly.

Peoria, Illinois, which felt the effects of the a housing dips in the early 80's should take caution as well. While this area is still doing well for sellers – prices have been increasing steadily. The average selling price for a home in Peoria was $112,000 during the first two quarters of this year. The current market average is $121,400.

One experts reports that while there is an extensive inventory of new construction, the increases in prices has been moderate compared to the rest of the country – leading experts in the area to believe that the 15 percent drop in home value around 1985 isn't on the horizon again.

Overall we are seeing much of the county's real estate market continuing on with business as usual.