It is a great time to invest in real estate, despite media reports.

The media has generated numerous articles on the plight of today's real estate market. By all accounts we are facing one of the worse real estate markets ever. This may be true for some sellers. Howvever, this is not the case for buyers. Buyers now rule. The adjustments in market pricing are part of the natural cyclical process. Truth be told, this market is not much different from the markets of the 1990s. There is however, a slight twist.

The robust real estate market over the last five years experienced a high production of 80/20, 100% financing and interest only loans. In a number of instances, these loans were poorly suited for the borrowers. As a result we are now seeing a large number of foreclosures. The importance of the foreclosure is that it creates downward pricing, thereby generating more affordable opportunities for buyers. Additionally, foreclosures adversely impact other homes for sale. Appraisers consider the overall economic health of the real estate market for a given community. If the community has a significant numer of foreclosures, it will be factored into the appraiser's report and result in downward pricing, creating yet another opportunity for the prospective buyers.

The adjustments in the market and the foreclosures represent tremendous opportunities for buyers. Combine market conditions with seller incentives like closing cost and down payment assistance and you have a winning combination for the serious buyer.