Would be better to purchase a house now or to get an apartment.?

Now is the time to buy, prices are back down, interest is up a little but not bad. If your income is steady and you have a good secure job go for it.

I always buy real estate with 20% down 15 year fixed. It is a little harder to come up with the down payment, but you will not have mortgage insurance, etc. Your interest will be lower and your payment will not be much higher. Add 15 years to your age its sounds a lot better that 30 years to your age when your finished paying. Good luck this worked for me.

250,000 20% Down = 50,000.00 Finance 200,000.00 for 15 years = about 1800.00 per month

the same for 30 years about 1500.00 per month.

If you could put down at least 10%, and have your payments no more than what you would pay for rent, a house may be ok. Yes, housing has been in a down-turn for some time, and yes it may go even lower. But where they are now, there is a greater chance that prices will turn upwards fairly soon. Don't forget the old saying about location. Sometimes buying a house, used or new close to any new housing developments isn't the best idea. Think it through. If you have any credit card debt, pay them off to below 20% or so of their limits. Take your time.

Don't listen to that Inyoung person... Buy if you can, or rent for a few months if you can avoid a 6 month contract. The market should bottom out around late summer, but buying now or then shouldn't make too much of a difference. The real difference should come anywhere from 2 to 8 years from now when the economy should be better. And try to buy a foreclosed or quick-sale house if you can. And think of it like buying a car - anyone who pays sticker(asking) price is a sucker.

The advisors I see these days mostly favor renting; they think the price of housing will continue downwards for a while yet, at least several months, perhaps a couple of years.

Buy when the market bottoms out if you can. But expect tighter credit and bigger down payment requirements - these things are going to be reformed. Try to save up while renting.

You might talk to your bank about renting a property that is in arrears and would be foreclosed; you might get a good deal that way, since foreclosure costs them.

With the economy being what it is, maybe an apartment would be best for now and later you can think about buying a house

If you can afford to buy - 20% down and closing costs - stay three years it is always better to purchase than to pay rent.

well it depends on your budget, but is nice to move into a home cuz if you first move into an apartment, you might not feel like your at "home" as much