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May 2007: A Good Time to Buy a House?


As America's housing market continues to crumble, clients regularly ask us, "Should I buy a home now?" And we give the same response...it depends.

Consider Your Time Horizon
How long do you plan to live in this house? One year? Twenty years? If you are planning to stick around for more than 7 years, then we suggest you ignore the short-term market bumps and just purchase the property. You are not in this to make a quick buck or to roll the dice on a fast market turnaround. Additionally, fixed rate mortgages are still historically low, and you may even have an opportunity to purchase a home at (or even below) its fair market value.

On the other hand, if you plan on living in this property for a year or two, with fingers crossed that the real estate jackpot is eighteen months away, then now is not a good time for you. Home prices continue to plummet and many experts agree there's no end in sight. Besides, your house is not a casino; it's not meant to satisfy your gambling streak and to entertain your ambitions of fame and fortune.

Indicators Indicate an Indication
As we've been writing about for a while now , the U.S. housing slump is real, and it's here to stay for a while. Just today, Standard & Poor's announced a drop in first quarter home prices from a year ago...the first year-over-year price drop in more than 15 years. S&P index committee chairman David Blitzer sums it up: "We still don't see anything that looks like a clear bottom. We're still headed down."

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