Luxury estates in Montgomery County are having trouble finding new owners as the luxury market has found a new stronghold in Philadelphia, writes Caitlin McCabe for Philly.com.

The price of luxury homes has not weakened, up two percent to $1.27 million over the last year. However, selling them has become more challenging explained Patricia Royston, an agent with Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty.

Royston listed the former estate of the Pew family in Gladwyne for under $5 million nine months ago, and is still waiting for a buyer for the property.

“I’m seeing that it’s easier to sell a luxury home in Philadelphia than it is in the suburbs,” she said. “People do not necessarily want the lifestyle of owning an estate. They want something that’s easier to care for.”

However, this slowdown does not mean that the sale of luxury suburban listings has totally collapsed.  Over the last year, in the the eight-county suburban region around Philadelphia, 744 homes that were originally listed at $1 million or more have sold. This is not far below the 758 that were sold in 2006, during the region’s housing boom.

Read more about the changes in the market at Philly.com by clicking here.