With the spring weather season supposedly upon us as the rain currently falls and the temps hover in the mid 30′s one has to wonder……the real estate markets of the greater Portland region posted a solid March.  In Portland 37 properties traded hands at a median price of 192K compared with 50 propertiesand 213K a year prior.  A 10% price decrease and 26% volume decline is hardly something to cheer for, but optimism is in the air, the home buyer tax credit is making a difference and overall buying activity and general sense of real estate well being is markedly up compared with a few months prior. Southern Maine real estate will continue to hold relatively strong this spring despite unfavorable global economic conditions.