Three down and counting

The third week in January is fast approaching. Where does the time go? For the housing market this is the time when people really begin to think about making a move. The weather hasn't been too cold so more people are showing up at open houses and more people are actually out there looking again. The market is changing but that's a good thing. Here's what the Wall St. Journal has to say about it:

Home Buyers Negotiate PerksAs Housing Market Slows Down
By Danielle Reed From Dow Jones Newswires
In recent months, home buyers in some markets across the country have been able to do something they hadn't for years: haggle.
As the galloping housing market shows signs of slowing, certain areas of the country -- such as Boston's North Shore suburbs, the Washington, D.C. metro area, and parts of Arizona and Colorado -- are beginning to favor buyers who can negotiate a better price, or at least a few more perks.
"It's most definitely a buyer's market," says Lanse Robb, a real-estate agent with LandVest who specializes in the upper-end market on Boston's North Shore. There is "more inventory than buyers," he says. "Buyers dictate the terms, the price, and in more cases than not make very few offers. If they don't get a quick and decisive response, they move on."

What that means for you if you're buying is if you see a house you like, make an offer! If you're selling your house, be open to the offer you receive and don't take it as a personal attack on you and your home if the price isn't what you want. There's always room to haggle.