Wow! Great numbers in Northeast US

I'm very glad to be in the Northeast during this so-called "housing slump." All of the news sources flash headlines which would make you think the sky is falling, but in Maryland and many of our neighboring states, we are looking at some of the lowest interest rates in 40 years coupled with 1% increase in sales over last year. Plus the median home price continues to rise. The moral of the story? Pay your mortgage on time. Pay all your bills on time, for that matter. As long as your credit is good, you have no worries. And what, you ask, should I do if my credit is NOT good? The answer is simple, but not simple to do: stop living above your means. Develop a budget and stick to it, plan to pay off ALL of your credit cards and start saving money for a down payment. Become very familiar with what is a "want" versus what is a "need." If you really want to own a home of your own, you may have to make some painful decisions which will pay off richly in the long run. Happy Saving!