Sales of homes and cars have fallen off in the greater Johnstown region, but professionals in both industries aren’t willing to place the blame on tightening credit.

The housing market in Cambria and Somerset counties has fallen off considerably this year compared with last. Through August, sales of single-family homes were down by 17 percent compared with the same period of 2007.

No local data were available on car sales, but nationwide vehicle sales were down by more than 25 percent in September. Courtney Suppes-Droz, general manager of Suppes Ford in downtown Johnstown, confirmed that area dealerships have seen a slowdown in their sales.

“As far as the credit crunch, it’s not hurting us as much yet,” Suppes-Droz said. “It’s going to hurt those with poor credit the worst. Banks just aren’t going to be willing to lend people money who they perceive to be risky.”

Suppes-Droz said that it has been a strange year in the automobile industry.

Values of trucks and SUVs crashed early in the year as gas prices reached record highs and sales of small, gas-efficient cars boomed.

Now, prices of those bigger vehicles have returned, and after a slow July, interest in purchasing vehicles seems to be on the rebound.

“People may be keeping their budgets a little bit tighter, but they still need cars; they still need to get from A to B,” Suppes-Droz said.

“Plus, we’re seeing value return to certain vehicles. It’s a good time to come trade trucks and SUVs as well as everything else. In fact, with all of the incentives and financing plans available, it’s a great time to buy.”

Jeff Nider, a real estate agent with ReMax and a member of the board of the Cambria Somerset Association of Realtors, said he expects the housing market will remain slow through the end of the year, particularly because it is an election year.

Nider believes the new year will bring renewed demand for housing, either in the form of new home purchases or greater demand for rentals.

The subprime mortgage crisis and fallout, Nider said, seems to have caused apprehension with some local buyers.

But he said that the statistics, such as that the two counties were largely passed over by the housing boom, point to a strong and stable local real estate economy.

Nider noted that despite slower sales than a year ago, this year has been stronger than most for the region. He also pointed out a recent report that showed Johnstown as the only metropolitan area in the state with housing values that increased during the past year.

“The main reason is the national media have been hammering and hammering about how bad it is,” Nider said. “They’re saying that you can’t get money.

“In our area, that isn’t going to be the case, but consumers are scared. They’re calling me and asking me if they’re going to be able to get money. The banks are telling me they have the money to lend and they’re looking for customers to take loans.”

Credit is tougher to receive than it was even a year ago. Many of the subprime products that have contributed to the current crisis no longer are available.

According to local bankers, what are available are the more traditional bank mortgagees that require 10 percent to 20 percent down payments and a individual history as a good credit risk.

“Yes the credit regulations have tightened and have become more stringent,” Nider said. “The people with lower credit ratings are going to have more trouble.

“But it’s not like you have to have an excellent credit rating. A credit score of somewhere in the 600 range or higher is going to make you eligible. You’re also going to need a good debt-to-income ratio, but the requirements are far from impossible to meet.”