One mans ceiling is another mans floor... one mans sushi is another mans bait... one mans misfortune is another mans opportunity.
The events that are going on now in the market place... SHORT SALES... FORECLOSURES ... REO's... are truly unfortunate. However, these events are also allowing people to enter the Real Estate market, people who in the past couldn't afford to make the leap from renter to home owner.
Yes, the market is correcting itself... and yes, we must learn from our past mistakes... but right now, if one is gainfully employed and can prove it... and if one has a decent credit score... there are opportunities available today to purchase properties in the central Contra Costa county and surrounding areas.
THINK ABOUT IT... If someone told you 2 or 3 years ago that you could OWN a 2 or 3 bedroom home in Concord or Martinez or the neighboring areas for under 400K - you would have scoffed at them... If they said that it was possible to OWN a home for well under 400K (say 315 to 340) if you didn't mind doing a little cosmetic fix up - they would have been put away. WELL I'm here to say- it is a reality today.
The window of opportunity is open... for how long no one knows, but it is open and it's open now. Seek the advise of a trusted professional. A few years from now you'll be saying "I'm glad I did." or "I wish I had."