I remember being a newlywed in Clearwater, FL in 2003. We owned a condo on Bayshore Blvd with wonderful views of the water and a short walk to quaint, fun and beautiful Safety Harbor.  After a while, we wanted a single family home to grow a family.  Moving up would soon prove to be a very difficult task.  We soon realized that the availability of homes in the mid 100,000 range in move-in condition was very hard to find. When we did find one, we were outbid over and over again.   We settled for a fixer upper in the historic Seminole Heights community in Tampa, FL.  After lots of time and effort, we restored the home, built "sweat equity" and sold for a handsome profit 2 years later.

We moved up to a new home in Pasco County which we enjoyed for 3 years and now live in Hernando County in the beautiful community which borders Barony Woods and West Linden Estates.  We now enjoy spacious 1-acre lots, unique home designs, a great school district and peace and quiet which is occasional interrupted by a hooting owl.  This was all made possible because we took the leap into home ownership 7 years ago and even through all the ups and downs of the market, we have prevailed.

As I watched the market soar back then, I used to worry that homeownership in Florida would soon be out of reach of most newlyweds, first-time homebuyers and retirees.  But, through this very difficult market adjustment, it is now once again attainable.

To my surprise, instead of buyers being excited about these opportunities, I see a lot of inaction driven by fear and media hype. Yes, this current "Buyer's Market" makes it difficult on Sellers, but, we all get our turn. If you are in a position to be a Buyer in today's market why not go for it?  Why wait until the market starts to "improve" for Sellers and home prices to go up?  You just might miss your opportunity once again.  So what are you waiting for? Don't let hindsight be your marker. Get on the mark, get set and let's go!