Q: We want to buy a home this year but my husband says he wants to wait until the economy really hits bottom.

That way we will get the best deal. In the meantime, we’re paying rent and I think that’s just wasting money. I want that money to go toward a home of our own. What do you think?

A: First, of course, is the simple fact that no one knows when we’ve hit bottom until we aren’t there anymore. Once prices start to stabilize or even start upward, it’s too late. I’ve always believed that the best time to buy is when you want a home.

We all learned, sadly and dramatically, what trying to outsmart the market will get you. If the stock market crash, the banking melt down, and the real estate disaster have taught us anything, it should be that we can’t really predict the future. We can only try to learn from the past.

The real estate market is actually changing for the better at this very moment. The news out at the end of May indicated that pending sales of homes in the US had risen three months in a row and that in April, sales jumped 6.7% the highest leap in eight years. That report, from the National Association of Realtors, also stated that in several states, bidding wars were becoming common on foreclosures as speculators and first time home buyers flood the market to find bargains.

The $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers has also helped to turn the real estate market around. Many banks are now allowing these funds to be used as part of the down payment and closing costs. According to investment analysts, looking state by state at many economic indicators, the recession will end in Washington state by the fourth quarter of this year.

Even if these predictions don’t come true, it’s a ray of sunshine to those hoping for better days. With our inventory at an all time high and prices reduced dramatically I would say this is a great time to buy.