2009 Market Prediction - or . . . I might as well, everyone else is, or . . . "Boll-weevil's gotta have a home."

Actually, it's never a bad time to buy if you need a place to live and you are in a financial postition to do so. After all, why pay down someone elses mortgage via your rent when you could be building equity yourself?

Is it a good time to buy an investment or rental property? Now, there is some guess work in answering that thought. It could be. The rental market is strongest in single family properties but the price is high enough at this point that the immediate return on investment can be bettered many other places. Places like the Stock Market . . . oh yeah, maybe that's not such a good idea. Is the price going to come down, say a further 10%? I guess it could. But will those that have been for sale, pretty much needing a sale for one reason or another, lower their price or will they hold on and maybe decide to rent the property out? We see many deciding to rent the property out. Why? Well, they feel that it makes a good investment. Hmmm, they may be on to something.

The rental return on condo's is typically better, dollar for dollar, check it out.

The thing is, shelter is a necessity . . . people, like the boll weevil of song, got to have a home. There always will be folks in transition, on the move, needing short term accommodation . . . for them it often simply makes more sense to rent. However, for those folks with a good job and a bit of a down payment this is an opportunity that really hasn't been there for about 6 years or so. My advice . . . start the hunt. There are some good choices out there and one of the best ways to find them is to hook up with a Realtor.