Rob Mueller

As the recession comes to an end and the economy begins to regain its strength, now more than ever is a great time to be in the market to buy a home. There are several factors that make now a great time to acquire property, but we will specifically talk about 4 key factors. These factors include low median home prices, rock bottom interest rates, available tax credits and investment opportunities!

1. Low Median Home Prices

With the free fall of home prices over the last 3 to 4 years and a large number of distressed properties hitting the market, some areas of the U.S. are seeing the median home prices as low as they were in 1997. As the prices start to flatten, many economist believe that the roughest parts of the real estate road have been passed and that prices could start to rebound in the 2010. The median price in the the U.S. for a single family home is $169,000, that is down 13.8% from last year. The pending sales index, which is up 21% from the same time last year, indicates that consumer's are getting great deals and taking advantage of this buyers market.

2. Rock Bottom Interest Rates

With interests rates on mortgaged money as low as its ever been, its hard not to take advantage of this buyers market if you are able financially. You can lock in a 30 year fixed mortgage at just over 5%, while you can get a 15 year fixed mortgage for just under 4.75%. Credit qualifications for mortgages are a bit more stringent than they have been in the past few years, due to the mortgage crisis which is one reason the housing market is where it is today!

3. Tax Credits

With the first time home buyers tax credit being extended and expanded last week, more people may be able to afford home ownership than ever before. The $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers was extended through April 2010, and is available to consumers wanting to buy a home that have not owned a home in the last three years. The expansion of the tax credit now includes a $6,500 credit to home owners who have lived in their current residence for at least 5 years. The income limitations are $125,000 for single applicant and $225,000 for married applicants. To receive this tax credit, the purchase agreement must be signed by April 30, 2010 with closing accuring before June 30, 2010.

4. Investment Opportunities

With the number of distressed and foreclosed properties on and set to hit the market, real estate investors have a plethora of options in regards to going about thier business. With foreclosures selling at 50 to 70 percent of market value, investors have the chance to buy these properties, put a little TLC into them, and depending on the circumstances either sell it for a profit or rent it out for a monthly cash flow. Either way there are many opportunities for investors to get involved in the real estate market. Another benefit of the times is that many contractors are looking for work and are willing to do renovations and fix-ups for a lot less than they were charging three or four years ago.

These are just 4 of the many reasons that now is a great time to purchase real estate. Just remember not to get in over your head, stay within your budget and be aware of all the cost that come with home ownership. Find a good real estate agent and none of those problems should be an issues for you.

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Where did it come from? Social media and business of all types are now intertwined and growing together. With over 100 social media websites available to businesses and consumers all over the world, social media has become the new way for businesses, large and small, to get direct and valued feedback from their consumers. Not only are they getting feedback, but they are also growing there businesses through visibility, target marketing, and brand recognition. To some the task of tackling the social media giant seems daunting; leaving questions like what the heck is a twitter, a tweet, or twellow; or what's a status update, a fan page, or facebooking? Here are a few quick tips that can get you started down the right path of the social media superhighway. Click here to check out my website!!

1. Start off slow- You don't have to use every social media outlet all at once for them to be effective. Find one or two that are best suited to what you do and start with them.

2. Don't try to sell on these site- Social media websites are for building relationships, not direct selling. Believe me, if you give consumers valuable information that they can use, it will lead you to increased sales. Give them information on the social media site, but always include a link to your website where the buying and selling take place!

3. Have someone else do it for you- If your not computer savvy, or you have other, more dollar productive activities to handle, have someone else run your social media sites for you. Make sure they clearly understand your business and what values and standards you want represented throughout these sites.

4. Let People know where to find you- Include you social media adreses on your business cards or at the end of your emails. It does no good to put the time in to create these social media outlets and not let people know where to find you!

5. Start out using facebook and twitter- Facebook and twitter give you the best opportunity to reach your target market and are pretty easy to set up. Facebook has over 2 million unique users and there are countless ways for you to get in contact with your target market. Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media outlets and gives you the ability to quickly send messages directly to you target market and receive feedback almost instantly.

The hardest part is getting started. Once you find your niche on these social medis sites the results can be incredible. It's also a great way to meet new people in your field and also build strong realtionships for future business opportunities! GOOD LUCK! Homes for sale in the South Suburbs of Minnesota!