Housing Market 2011: A Spirited Dialogue

Rob Hahn and Jeff Corbett are partners in 7DS Associates, a strategic management consultancy focused on the real estate business. As industry insiders and observers, they agree on many aspects of the current housing market; they disagree on plenty of others. AOL Real Estate asked them to conduct a dialogue throughout this last week of the year, discussing the big real estate topics of 2011. This is Part 3 of 5.

Rob-

I couldn't agree more that it's a renter's market first and foremost. It's certainly not a seller's market, as you're experiencing first-hand. So I stand by my point that it is a buyer's market, if you can afford to buy. Conventional financing requirements are tight with regard to LTVs, meaning you'll need a hefty down payment. However, FHA still provides loans for as little as a 3 percent down payment. You still need the requisite stringent credit and income factors.