1.  Home buyers who have been on the sideline are now considering a return to the market.  Market changes over the last four years are encouraging those who have been waiting out the market transition to get proactive and recognize that it’s finally time to buy the new home that suits their family’s needs.

 

2.  Positive news reports by real estate and personal finance journalists.  Consumers learned that in the years of 2008 and 2009 the doom-and-gloom residential real estate market headlines didn’t apply to all segments of all markets.  What's been lost since the times of the endless foreclosure stories is that there are still instances of local homes selling quickly, many at asking price, and some homes selling with multiple contracts on the table.  Plus, the overall decrease in home sales has been considerably less drastic than the recent correction in the U.S. stock market.  Over four million people purchased a home 2009, despite any negative headlines.

 

3.  Home seller financing. Home sellers are increasingly considering self-financing to move properties.  Installment sale contracts and lease-to-own are the most popular and effective ways for sellers to start receiving income from a property that has been stagnant in the recent market.

 

4.  Consultant, not only a salesperson. The new real estate agent. The agent who provides resources to help the consumer determine if they should buy or sell a home are will likely to be the winners. They are the ones who help consumers through the home sale/purchase process. Home ownership is not for everyone.  Dynamics such as a job move in three years or less, marginal credit, and lack of interest in home maintenance all can be reasons for a resource-driven agent to advise their client to wait on a home purchase.