Renting a home is the best bet in a down market. This allows you to test the waters and sew where you really want to live without the huge investment and/or disapointment of discovering you don’t like the area.

Here is an interesting article about the housing market improving .

Read full article here…

The U.S. housing market was greatly and negatively impacted by the foreclosure crises of late 2008 and the consequent U.S. and global economic crunch. There are, however, signs that things are getting better.

According to data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), existing home sales rose 3.4% from March 2012 to April 2012. Although this was mostly due to the tight supply in Atlanta and other high-end markets, the increase in home sales – particularly luxury home sales - is a nationwide phenomenon.

Property prices were 10% higher year over year in April 2012. The median home price rose by 10.1% compared to the same period the previous year to reach $177,400.

Nationally, analysts believe that although the prices are below what we could have in a healthy real estate market, the current prices and indicative of good things to come. Analysts believe that the worst is over. The U.S. economy is improving, with slightly lower unemployment rates hanging around the 8% mark and conservative, but growing consumer confidence.