BUYER POWER!

For the 11^th consecutive week Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed that the average interest rate for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) broke another record in the 37-year history of the survey. During the week ended January 15 the rate averaged 4.96 percent with 0.7 point, down from last week's average of 5.01 percent with 0.6 point.

This is the 11th week in a row that mortgage interest rates have dropped, due in part to a slowing economy, and also to the actions that the Federal Government has been taking. Some (healthy) local banks have been receiving funds from the Feds specifically for the purpose of supplying money for mortgages to local consumers.

We have had clients close on homes with mortgage rates even lower - 4.5%! This equates to a mortgage payment of only $1721.00 per month on a $350,000 home with just 3% down.

You could buy a $200,000 condo (or even single family) with 3% down ($6,000) and have a mortgage payment less than $1000! It's got to be cheaper than what you are currently paying for rent. Plus, unlike rent, your mortgage payment is mostly tax deductible, giving you a larger tax refund. Add on the $7500 first time homebuyer tax credit, and you would have to be crazy not to buy a home right now!

I know what you are thinking - "But you are a Realtor. Of course you want me to buy a home now. That's how you make your money and you have lots of Christmas bills to pay off!"

True, selling real estate is how a earn a living. But I earn clients for life by giving them what I believe to be good, accurate information that is going to help them in their decisions when buying or selling a home. I just recently purchased a home myself because of these ideal buying conditions. Though I had owned property before, most recently I had been renting - and waiting for the right time to buy.

This IS the right time.

Jim Armstrong