Nine years after subprime mortgages and shaky home loans contributed to the Great Recession, home sales have made a big comeback. Almost five-and-a-half-million existing homes were sold last year and housing starts had their strongest year in a decade.

Although 2016 was a strong year for housing, December was a down month. Home sales declined by 2.8%. Analysts believe higher mortgage rates and prices as well as a small inventory of houses on the market all led to the decrease in sales.

These statistics are all national. What does the home sale and real estate market look like in Central Pennsylvania?

That's the topic of Friday's Smart Talk. Appearing on the program are Greg Rothman, President and CEO of RSR Realtors, Angela Shifflet, Residential Mortgage Sales Manager and Mike Peduzzi, Executive Vice President and CFO with Mid Penn Bank and Daniel Durden, CEO of the Pennsylvania Builders Association.

Also, it's been a busy week at Pennsylvania's State Capitol.

WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Katie Meyer joins us to discuss updated projection of the state's budget shortfall by the Independent Fiscal Office, the Wolf Administration's plan to close the state prison at Pittsburgh to save money and the firing of former Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs Gary Tennis.