Aevens,
I would not wait until next year, I would take advantage of the TEMPORARY t$8000.00 tax credit ........that is provided that you can qualify for a mortage (which means you need to have income, a few dollars downpayment, and a track record of paying your bills), it doesn't get easier than that. My husband and I work consistently with first time buyers and take great joy in the process. If you are interested in more information with NO SALES PRESSURE, we would be happy to answer your questions. Paul and Kathy

Hi Aevans,

I used to live in Westchester back in college.. I lived on Matlack St..
( named after Jon Matlack whom I watched pitch for the NY Mets Growing up! ) right by the Neild Street Deli.. BEST Cheese Steaks on the planet. Is the Deli still there? O.k.. Sorry.. I'll give my 2cents.

I would contact Jeremy Hill, Jeremy seems to be in touch with the area and has a very good background and here on Trulia. Cherry Hill is a great area and a different feel then Westchester.

Buying? The time is here... you can purchase for what you could spend on rent. Believe it. Speak to a Mortgage representative and see what you can afford in today’s market. Given the downturn in prices.. you can probably get a good deal on a condo for what you would pay in rent. It cannot hurt to look.

Jeremy S. Hill, Realtor Associate
Keller Williams Realty http://www.YourPhillyHomeSearch.com http://www.SouthNewJerseyHomes.com
Office: 856.321.1212 ext 227
Direct: 609.876.5817
Licensed PA, NJ

Web Reference: http://www.SouthNewJerseyHomes.com

John Sacktig
Broker / Manager
Orange Key Realty
Office: 732-863-6969
Cell: 732-213-1409

JSacktig@orangekeyrealty.com

Aevans - Should you rent or should you buy?

I would suggest that you get yourself pre-approved for a mortgage and then
you should do some homework. Look to see what's available and affordable in your price range.
LOOKING doesn't cost anything.
Educate yourself a bit about the market ...and then make a smart choice that's right for you.

Barbara Q.
(Not a Realtor or Lender...Just a value-added service!)

All of answers that preceed mine give you excellent advise! Now might turn out to be the best time to buy in a long time. You could look brilliant by buying in the next 3 months and actually finding your own "bottom" of the market. With the interest rates, the tax credit, the inventory, the short sales (if you can wait) and the motivated sellers out there, you can do very well on putting together an excellent deal for yourself. The first step is a mortgage qualification and a price range that factors in your down payment, whether or not you are going to be looking for seller concessions (I would!) the taxes, the association fees and the kind of payment that you are comfortable with. With that established, you and your realtor can target the towns that feel right to you that have the price ranges you are looking for. Obviously age, beds, baths, garages, basements etc are all factors that need to be taken into consideration. There are so many options- its an exciting time to be a buyer- take advantage of the market and buy something. If you have questions about South Jersey, feel free to give me a call or use the link below to set up your own search;

http://www.mlsfinder.com/nj_trend/kerinricci

Keri Ricci
Keller Williams Realty
856 816-7009

Hello Aevans,

Lots of good responses here. These should keep you busy for a while. One comment I didn't see was making sure your choice also takes into consideration a long term view.

A condo/townhouse has more opportunity to become an investment property. This means location, good construction and a responsive on site management company.

You'll eventually outgrow the property but the suggestion to find something near the PATCO Hi Speed line is a good one for prospective tenants.

If you have questions about South Jersey (Camden, Gloucester or Burlington County) , feel free to give me a call or use this link to set up your own search. http://www.mlsfinder.com/nj_trend/marilyngeiger . You will be notified of new and updated listings that match your criteria as they come to the market. What I like about this search engine is it contains all of the information that brokerage sites don't. (Maps, taxes, lot sizes etc).

Good Luck with your search
Marilyn Geiger
609-238-0465
Weichert Realtors, Cherry Hill

All of answers that preceed mine give you excellent advise! Now might turn out to be the best time to buy in a long time. You could look brilliant by buying in the next 3 months and actually finding your own "bottom" of the market. With the interest rates, the tax credit, the inventory, the short sales (if you can wait) and the motivated sellers out there, you can do very well on putting together an excellent deal for yourself. The first step is a mortgage qualification and a price range that factors in your down payment, whether or not you are going to be looking for seller concessions (I would!) the taxes, the association fees and the kind of payment that you are comfortable with. With that established, you and your realtor can target the towns that feel right to you that have the price ranges you are looking for. Obviously age, beds, baths, garages, basements etc are all factors that need to be taken into consideration. There are so many options- its an exciting time to be a buyer- take advantage of the market and buy something. If you have questions about South Jersey, feel free to give me a call or use the link below to set up your own search;

http://www.mlsfinder.com/nj_trend/kerinricci

Keri Ricci
Keller Williams Realty
856 816-7009

If you look at a map stay along the corridors of major highways...
Rt 295 S. of Walt Whitman Bridge and N of Walt Whitman Bridge Woodbury, Deptford, West Deptford, Cherry Hill Collingswood , Haddon Twp, Marlton Mt Laurel,Maple Shade

Rt 42 South along the deptford, Blackwood, Gloucester Twp, Washington Twp Although Wash Twp will be a bit more outside you 20 minute limit.

Along Rt 55 Deptford, Washington Twp, Glassboro,

Along Rt 70 Cherry Hill,
Along Rt 38 Cherry Hill

Along Rt 73 Mt Laurel, Marlton,Maple Shade

some nice little towns Along Rt 30 and Rt 168
go here http://maps.google.com/
Put Philadelphia (The Words) about center on the map and then place the zoom at half way, This should give you a about a 20min selection of towns in all directions.

When you begin your home search consider your schools and info about the area. Almost every town I mentioned above are very good! There are plenty more! Also consider your property taxes and maintenance fees. Search out what you are looking for in a home. You mentioned Townhome or condo there are so many choices.

A good agent will show you more information and your choices.

Larry Sarlo
Weichert Realtors
609-868-1171 http://www.NJHomeHunter.com

Aevans,

To better answer you question please provide a few more details. How many bedrooms/baths do you need? Is a garage necessary for storage or vehicle? What general price range are you considering? It may seem odd but commute in the city is pretty easy from South Jersey with the speedline and easy access to bridges. Feel free to see all the homes for sale at http://www.YourNJHomeSearch.com Homes are updated daily so you will always be looking at fresh information.

Best Regards,

Jeremy S. Hill, Realtor Associate
Keller Williams Realty http://www.YourPhillyHomeSearch.com http://www.SouthNewJerseyHomes.com
Office: 856.321.1212 ext 227
Direct: 609.876.5817
Licensed PA, NJ

If you qualify for a mortgage , this is a good time to buy. You can take advantage of the first time buyer tax credit, if you have not owned a house in the last three years and your income is within the limits. look up http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com for details. Interest rates are low, there is a large selection of homes and it is a buyer's market.
There are shopping centers every where.
If you live in Bensalem , there is Franklin Mills mall and you are close to Philadelphia. You can live in Willow grove and be near a mall and take the train to center city. It is more than 20mins .Go to septa.org and look up the schedule .
You can do a map based search of homes by visiting my web site. http://www.gitabantwal.com

It depends on your price-range. There are so many great communities in the Philadelphia region. Buying now would be great because of the first-time tax credit that is in place for this year.

I would recommend finding out what you are approved for and down payment needed, then making a budget based on what you want to pay. From there, find a Realtor who can figure out the price-range you will fall into, factoring in your monthly with what the taxes and condo fees will be.

Good luck!
Elisa
856-371-5888

We are partial to Bucks County because we live and work here. It is also close to either I95 or route 1 to get into Center City. Bensalem or Trevose would be the closest. Give us a call if you want help.