Buy a House: Brave Homebuyers Ignore the Slump

Glenn Ruppert recently got up the nerve to buy a house within Firethorne, a 1,400-acre planned community in Katy/Fulshear, Tex. -- right in the middle of the ongoing housing slump.

The Ruppert family, pictured left weren't actually looking to buy a house. But government incentives such as federal tax credits and government-funded down payment assistant programs made buying a logical and attractive investment. The Rupperts were also drawn to being part of a new neighborhood with a lot of growth potential.

"We waited a year during the economic downturn for things to level off. We hadn't counted on the government stimulus, but that was an incentive," says Ruppert. "[So] we were able to buy our first brand-new home, a 4,380-square-foot home, [and move] up from a 2,500-square-foot home."

Talking real estate may be the pits for homeowners who tragically bought five years ago, but it's ever the hot topic for new homeowners who are not only unfazed by the slump, but eager to drop dough on still-discounted deals.