Home sales slid again in October

County home sales slid nearly 30 percent for a second consecutive month, confirming the real estate slowdown that has some sellers pulling their property off the market.

"We have seen a lot in the past four to five months that people are just throwing in the towel," said Charles Cockrill, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's BWI office. "The sellers are just getting creamed and getting less money for their house than their house is worth."

Frustrated sellers are dumping old real estate agents for new ones and hiring professional decorators to ensure homes look top-notch, but experts say the best way to hook...