It has to be said that recently – I was actually scared for the real estate market.  I was shaking in my boots forever and I did not think that it was ever going to recover but I have to tell you.  Pending homes sales are gaining for the seventh straight month and for any realtor, that is like music to our ears. 

The reason for the gain in commitment from home buyers?  The tax credit.  While the tax credit might be ending next month, there are still the low, low mortgage rates that are being offered up and I have to say that pending home sales are actually a forward-looking indicator that the housing market is in recovery!

If you are in the real estate market, you know how hard it has been – keep your chin up though, I can promise that it is going to get better!

One of the first things that you need to do is make a list of how much money you make a month – do the lowest amount that you make and take away any overtime that you might be getting right now.  You always want to make sure that you base your payments and budget by the lowest amount of money you make.  Next, make a list of all of the bills that you have – this includes gas for your car and food for your fridge.

Once that is all done, figure out how much money you have left every single month that you think you may be able to afford in rent or a mortgage – that way, you can make sure that you get a home you can afford!

Wisely navigate the Austin Texas real estate market with telling Area stats and demographics at HomeCity.com.