Today I received a mailer from a mortgage company (who I had previously consulted with).  The letter was basically just a tool to remind me who they were, but included a statement that said “this still is an excellent time for buyers in the real estate market.”

Come on.  Is there any possible way that this could really be a good time to buy?  Sure, there are probably some foreclosures out there that are good deals, and a few other individual circumstances that would say this is a good time to buy.  But as a whole, this is a terrible time to buy.  On the radio today it was reported that sales volume is down 30% (I assume that is over this time last year), yet median price is up slightly.  This tells me that few people are buying, and those that are buying are people with higher incomes who aren’t as sensitive to price.  To me, this sounds like a market that is absolutely NOT an excellent time for buyers.