Boston Apartments: Defying the Real Estate Bailout

2008 will be known as the year of the bailout. From Wall Street to Detroit, organizations were pulled up by their bootstraps by the Federal government, which doled out nearly 500 billion dollars in projected stimulus packages.

Now the real estate market is calling for its own bailout. This might seem audacious to some people. After all, the real estate market is largely responsible for some of our current economic woes.

Boston Real Estate Now recently posted an article about the situation on its blog.

The latest batch of home sales numbers looks pretty grim. Pending sales in November fell to their lowest level on record, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday.

The anemic sales are just the latest sign that a whole bunch of would-be buyers suddenly got cold feet this fall after the stock market went crazy and the global financial system appeared on the brink of a meltdown.

The index tracks contracts to purchase homes, deals in the pipeline that have yet to officially close. The Northeast and the Midwest had the worst numbers.

This news may or may not come as a surprise. It depends on whom youve been listening to. Some optimistic realtors and economists have explained that the recession is in some ways good for the market. With home prices dropping, more people will buy. Right?

Yes and no. If you have the capital and can secure an adequate loan, then now might be a good time to buy. And, with prices plummeting, why not? But if you dont have the capital, if you are a first time homebuyer or have less than stellar credit, now is not the time to buy, as your chances of securing an adequate loan are slim.

Other, less optimistic realtors and economists are the ones calling for the bailout. In their eyes, the real estate market is in dire straights. It needs some sort of stimulus to gain its footing. It needs taxpayers money to help it out of its rut.

This is one bailout that shouldnt be granted. Look at it this way. Potential homebuyers need to know what they can afford. They will learn this by dealing with banks that are hesitant to lend. They will learn this by saving capital. Also, the market itself needs to stabilize. Right now it is saturated, still over-priced, and stagnant. With a bailout, these conditions will escalate, not evaporate. If the market works out of its current state through genuine, healthy sales, it will create a more secure futureone that maintains stability and prospers.

More from the article:

"A real estate-focused stimulus plan is urgently needed," said Lawrence Yun, NARs chief economist, in a statement.

I guess it was only a matter a time before the Realtors applied for a spot in the bailout club.

Banks are the charter members. Home builders, hospitals and developers have all since been lobbying hard since for a spot in this lucrative club.

Still, dont think NAR has gone totally doom and gloom on us.

Yun, the chief economist, is still predicting a 6.6 percent increase in home sales this year and a slight increase in median sale price as well, to $198,100.

My advice? If you can afford to buy a new home, watch the market for price dips and new listings. Chances are something attractive will appear. If you cant afford to buy, dont. Save; learn more about the market and work hard to boost your credit. In the meantime, its a good time to rent. Boston is an expensive city. But even here the prices for renting an apartment are not astounding. If you are waiting to buy, its your best option.