Having experienced five real estate recessions myself, I’ve learned a valuable lesson. The real estate market recovery begins about 6-12 months before the general retail economy. The real estate economy has been in a recession for almost 24 months now. Since Christmas, we’ve noticed an “uptick” in activity from buyers. This is the first indication that we’re nearing the end of this recessionary cycle – right on time and about 6-12 months before the rest of the economy begins showing signs of life.

What does that mean to you? It means that in another 3-6 months, you may have missed one of the greatest investment opportunities of your lifetime – the opportunity to “buy low” the most dependable appreciating asset this country has to offer. “Shoulda, woulda, coulda” is not just a cute expression – it describes the perennial lament of those unwilling to implement the most important of financial decisions in their personal lives – where to invest their money wisely.

- Paul Christian Breden