Up, Down, Sideways.... Homebuilders, Buyers, Renovations

A recent Wall Street Journal report reveals that Texas has six of the top 15 cities for job growth through the Great Recession. The economic stability is based in large part on the stability of the area's real estate market.

While home sales in North Texas are down a bit in this first quarter over 2009, home prices are up. That is a good sign. And listings are down, which could mean that it starting to become a bit of a level playing field for buyers and sellers.

Of course, the listings and total sales figures may not include all the sales of distressed or foreclosed homes in the area. By some recent measures, these lender sales account for almost 40 percent of the home purchases in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

But homebuilders are reporting an increase in buyer traffic in recent weeks, according to Dallas-based Residential Strategies Inc.

Like homebuilding, owners are taking the money they have kept safe on the sidelines and are beginning to put it into their homes: fix-ups, add-ons, alterations, renovations and restoration. These smart investors have the long-term in mind. And when it comes their time to sell, that kind of investment will pay off. Meanwhile, they will enjoy the rewards of a finer, more comforable and luxurious home.