Springfield, Ill.

Springfield is surrounded by farmland and rolling prairie grass. The gently undulating terrain might also aptly describe the area's real estate market.

The city, the capital of Illinois, is going through some ups and downs, but it's rolled on through, largely side-stepping the mortgage crisis.

Though the metro area has been hit by a downturn in home sales this year, it hasn't suffered much from foreclosures or overbuilding. And even though sales have dropped, prices have been rising.

Several factors have caused sales to stumble this year. For one thing, lending requirements have tightened nationally, requiring more creditworthiness and larger down payments.

"That's caused a decline in first-time home buyers," says Philip Chiles, president of the Capital Area Association of Realtors.

And there has been little measurable job growth in the Springfield area, Chiles says.

Rising gas and food prices are also contributing, as ...