Now is a great time to buy and sell real estate?

There is gloom and doom about real estate in the media...but most of us don't live in Florida or California. Most of us live in that overused term "Main Street USA." Yes, the Sub Prime Crisis, the Wall Street Crisis and the recent bank bailouts have us all in a tizzy. Turn off your television or understand that the great deal someone got on a piece of property isn't going to make the evening news because it doesn't sell. It's not sexy or horrifying. The media has us cowering in a corner and battening down the hatches. Is this really necessary? Gas prices are [finally] falling and the FDIC has raised [long overdue] their maximum insurance.

Areas that had inflated home prices are dropping, so buying now is smart. Isn't that when you're supposed to buy? That's what your financial planner would tell you if it were the stock market...and stock certificates don't make very good shelter from the elements. Your home is still your best investment according to many...it just gets buried on page 4. Home loans are still out there for the asking, it's just back to business as usual before sub prime. You need to prove employment, have a decent credit score and have [not always] a down payment. Lending institutions aren't likely to pay you to buy a piece of property or loan you additional money to buy a car or furniture without equity, but was that a good idea? Obviously not.

Your home is likely your largest single investment and it should be. They aren't making [much] more land, building materials and labor prices are increasing and humans need shelter. I don't think looking at a stock certificate is nearly as exciting as your dream kitchen or bath that you'll use every day. But after all, I was burned by Enron.