by Dian Hymer - Inman News
HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Buying a home is still a good investment if you can afford it, if you are ready to put down roots in a community, and if you want to invest in your personal happiness. Profit potential shouldn't be your only reason for buying a home, even though in most cases your home will appreciate in value if you maintain it and if you own it long enough.
One of the best investment strategies is to buy when the market is soft, not when it's racing forward perhaps toward a peak. It's also a time when you'll find the least competition from other buyers, most of whom will wait to buy until the market has already turned.