 TITLE: Is a Recession a Good Time to Buy a House? CONTENT: How Do Recessions Affect Real Estate Markets?\n---------------------------------------------\nHistorically, a recession tends to result in things such as lower industrial output, higher unemployment, lower consumer spending, increases in loan defaults and bankruptcies, and stagnant household incomes.\nThey also commonly affect the real estate market. During a recession, you might expect to see increases in rates of foreclosure, flat or even declining property values, lower home-sale volume and houses for sale staying on the market for longer periods of time before they sell.\nWhile this is generally bad news for real estate professionals and the industry overall, it can create opportunities for buyers who are able to convince mortgage lenders they can afford to keep up with their loan payments despite a slumping economy. END