Vice president of RealtySouth Jim Dye spoke to the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday during the Chamber’s monthly meeting.

Although Dye admitted the real estate market took a tough hit during the recession, he offered encouraging news that things are getting “better.”

“The market isn’t great but it is doing better,” Dye said. “2006 was a mountaintop year for the real estate market but things quickly dropped after that.”

Dye said Chilton County real estate is coming out of the recession a little later than most and encouraged those looking to purchase a home in Chilton County to listen to real-estate agents.

“People are scared to buy houses which is a challenge we have right now and we have been dealing with,” Dye said. “People can’t buy houses without jobs and most of American’s wealth is in their house.”

Dye said the future of real estate needs three things: inflation, jobs and consumer confidence.

“We went through a period of time where the news was really negative,” Dye said. “People are trying to jump back in the market and things are getting better but everything takes time.”