Paint it pepto pink..with black polka dots!

You hit the nail right on the head.  Home ownership is a lot more than treating a home like an equity stake in the stock market!  It where our lives happen. 

I got an interesting email in February from a homeowner that just closed in December ripping me apart for an article that I wrote about that was optimistic on our future in the coming year.  He told me that this year would be a disaster and the home prices would plummet.  I thought, hmmm, that is kind of interesting.  So I called the guy and we chatted for a bit and then I asked him the big question, Why did you buy now if you think the market is going to do so poorly.  Then he opened up and said that he had about as much clue as I did, but the bottom line is that the market is low, so it is good to buy low and foolish to guess on the exact bottom.  Pretty rare statement from a home buyer.  He ended up being dead on with the market.........

Oh my -- the pink and polka dots is should i say -- interesting.

Bob-So true! However, in our entitlement society, buyers no longer save money. They expect to get the house of their dreams at age 25, get it for no money down, and it should be rocked out with hardwood floors and granite countertops.  My parents didn't buy their first house until they were in their 40s and they still live there 30 years later.  Our society is much more transient than ever before but I'm even guilty of getting the new house itch every few years. It is a great time to buy, better than in a long time but I think its time to get back to some basics.