Housing Remains a Buyers Market

As we finish out the first month of the New Year, what's in store for the Real Estate market? Well a majority of Americans recently surveyed say now is a good time to buy a home as reported by the Wall Street Journal. That's certainly no surprise, given that record-low mortgage interest rates and bargain home prices are boosting affordability. But selling a home? That's a different story. That's because sellers sense that even if the housing market and the economy continue to show signs of improvement in 2012, the good news likely won't be good enough for buyers to return to the market in droves-even if they can buy a home for a steal. What's holding them back? For people to start buying in larger volume, they need to see home prices go up a bit and many potential buyers are waiting to see the jobs picture improve, which will give them confidence in the stability of their own employment. Still, various forecasts and surveys suggest better times for the housing market this year. Sales of existing homes are expected to grow between 2% and 5% in 2012, according to a recent forecast from Freddie Mac. Indeed, 2012 seems to be a turning point before a healthier and sustained recovery in 2013. So if you can hold out as a seller, now just may be the time to get your place ready for sale next year. If you can't wait, then get the house in the best pssible condition and price it to sell before it hits the market.