 | Real Estate Outlook:
Recovery Underway
 The pattern gets clearer week after week: We are looking at a slow-motion housing recovery that is itself feeding into a broader economic recovery that should have us out of recession later this year.
Now that's not to ignore the fact that there are markets in the country that still face very challenging economic dynamics - with no real turnaround in view yet on housing sales, prices and unemployment.
But the national numbers are telling us something important, and they increasingly look positive.
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Take the last new home construction starts and permits reports. Your local paper or the network news may have said housing starts dropped again, but that was misleading.
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Key to Earning Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits
 Homeowners now can claim up to $1,500 in expanded energy-efficiency tax credits for remodeling their principal residence to reduce energy consumption. Available until the end of 2010, the revamped Existing Home Retrofit (25C) Tax Credit helps consumers save two ways: on their costs and on their ultilty bills.
"Remodelers can help find the best methods of saving energy in your home with an assessment, like a home energy audit," explained Greg Miedema, CGR, CGB, CAPS, CGP, a remodeler from Tucson, Ariz. "Tightening the house to reduce air leakage by adding insulation, fixing ducts, and installing a more efficient heating and air conditioning system can help save on energy bills today while also reducing next year's tax bill."
The expanded federal tax credit refunds 30 percent of the product replacement cost up to a total of $1,500. It can be used not only for HVAC
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Finding the Perfect Neighborhood
 A home is not an island.
The surrounding neighborhood is just as important because it can have a big impact on your lifestyle -- safety, available amenities, and convenience all play their part, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
NAR also says you can keep your home value buoyed if you find the right neighborhood.
And you can find the right neighborhood by getting information direct from the best sources -- rather than from second hand and often incomplete data bases professing to offer you one stop shopping for all your neighborhood checking needs. Make a list of the activities -- movies, health clubs, churches -- you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most common activities. Check out the school district. The education department in your town can provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. Even if you don’t have children, a house in a good school district will be easier to sell in the future.
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Homes Adopt Streamlined Electronic Functionality
 Tight economic times don't seem to be dampening the desire to streamline electronic home improvements. According to The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), 2009 looks to be a promising year for electronic home upgrades in the areas of energy efficiency, mobile home management, flat panel display adoption, digital transitioning, and wireless integration.
"Housing prices and new home construction are at an all-time low right now. Instead of trying to sell, many homeowners have turned to retrofitting their homes and investing in comforts that will make their home more enjoyable," said Utz Baldwin, CEO,
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