Home is where the hurt is; After 2 years, Evanston owner

Stuck -- that's how Yvonne Smith felt as she tried unsuccessfully for more than two years to sell her Evanston home.

She recently agreed to an offer that's roughly 37 percent below her initial asking price, joining many other sellers who've had to revamp their expectations in what remains an ailing housing market here.

A report from the Illinois Association of Realtors on Tuesday showed the end of federal tax credits and a continuing weak economy pushed home sales in the Chicago metropolitan area down 25.1 percent in July from a year earlier. And major market improvements aren't forecast soon.

The median price sank 9.6 percent to $193,000 from $213,500, the …