My wife and I have been married for 32 years, brought 8 (no, that’s not a typo) kids into this world, and have had the opportunity to buy four homes in which to house them and us.   And there has never been a single time that we’ve agreed on what we are looking for when we buy them.

Sure, we knew about how many bathrooms we needed (there were never enough) and how many bedrooms would fit all of us.  We could even agree quite often about the size of the garage (again, never big enough).   But that’s about where it ended.  You see, for me, I dreamed of finding a house that I could move into, unpack, toss my feet up on the coffee table and stay awhile without having to replumb, rewire or repaint.  My wife, on the other hand, would still be carrying in boxes from the moving truck as she plotted exactly which shade of beige (during my marriage, I’ve learned that there are roughly 38,000) she would paint the kitchen.

The fact is, men and women are different.  And a recent Coldwell Banker survey learned a lot more about how.   Women would rather live closer to their extended family than their job, and they tend to know faster whether a house is right for them.  Men were more likely to need to see a house two times or more before making a decision, and were far more likely to want to turn an extra room into the proverbial “man cave”; i.e, an entertainment center.

What I thought was particularly interesting, however, was how many (70%) of those surveyed said that they make financial decisions together—something I found very heartening.   After all, things like buying a house are huge commitments for any couple, and both of them should have a say in the process.   And not just choosing the house itself, but also realistically discussing the kind of payment they can afford each month, what kind of financing they’re going to look for, the real estate agent they’re going to choose and the lender they’re going to work with.

And, most importantly, how soon the kitchen has to be painted.

New home sales outpaced analyst predictions in June.  No, you read it right—although you’re welcome to read it again and just let it sink in.   According to the Commerce Department, new home sales rose 11% last month, a feat that Bloomberg.com reported was the biggest one-month jump in 8 years.  And at the same time, the number of new homes on the market declined—as did new home prices.

As I see it, this is not only great news for the real estate market, but also for you if you’ve been thinking about buying a home.

You see, just like retailers reduce the price of their merchandise at the end of each season to move it off the shelf, it seems that builders have been reducing the prices of their spec homes in order to reduce debt and get to a more liquid position.    That means that you can get a beautiful, brand-new home with all the upgrades you’ve been wanting for thousands of dollars less than you would have paid even a year ago.

Combine a brand new home with a rate as low as 4.875%, and you’ve got a deal that is in my mind altogether too good to pass up.   Especially if you’re buying the home you will plan on being in for years to come, because you’ll have a virtually unsurpassed opportunity to earn valuable equity when the market recovers.

Now keep in mind that new homes aren’t the only way to go.  Recent reports from the National Association of Realtors reflected that sales of existing homes rose in June for the third consecutive month as well.   That means that people with a long-range perspective—folks just like you—are beginning to take advantage of lower-priced real estate in all of its forms.   And it also means that, if trends continue, we’ll start to see a reduction in the amount of available properties on the market.  And home prices—and values—are sure to follow.

The best way to get started on owning one of these properties?   Work with a loan officer to get pre-qualified.  Make sure he/she is committed to mortgage transparency.  That way when you do go to talk to a real estate agent, you know exactly how much home you can afford—and have the power to make a much stronger offer.

Questions?  Comments?  I’m always glad to hear them.