The West Sound has not seen the kind of price drops and foreclosure rates that have buffeted the national housing market. The pace of sales, which had been at a record, has slowed in 2008, and the median price of a single-family home has backed down slightly compared to a year ago. Condo sales, which had been a growing portion of the housing market here, have also slowed. The rental market remains reasonably priced, compared to rents across Puget Sound, and the inventory of rental properties includes single-family homes and apartment complexes in nearly every community.