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Unfortunately, overall things haven’t improved all that much. Some states are showing a bit of recovery from problems, like California, but others are still struggling, and even those markets that weren’t affected as much by the housing distress are now having issues as their sales are fairly flat.

It begs this question; is this really the best time to buy a new home? That answer is “yes”, emphatically, and I’m going to give 4 reasons why.

1. Interest rates are very low. In many states mortgage lenders have rates as low as 3.99%; that’s phenomenal! Sure, many of them have tightened standards for giving out loans based off the crisis but if you can qualify for one you’ll be sitting pretty.

2. Even though 51% of all home sales nationally are of foreclosed homes, that’s not really such a bad thing. Some of the foreclosed homes were never lived in, while some of them were lived in for only a short period of time. Also, it means that in many states home sales are starting to outpace the rate of foreclosures, and that means that there will be a bigger demand for new homes at some point.

3. Home builders are still building new communities. We’ve read about homes being built in Texas, New York, California and many other states with the expectation that there will be buyers for those homes, and there seems to be. Those buyers that qualify for the low mortgage rates are finding that they’re able to get great deals on new homes as opposed to buying pre-existing homes, as well as negotiate for options and amenities that might have cost too much in the past.

4. Home builders are also offering deals you’ve never imagined before. For instance, Toll Brothers is offering up to $4,000 in airfare and vacation accommodations if you purchase a home in one of their communities in Florida. Other home builders are offering major discounts and free upgrades as enticements. Frankly, this is probably one of the best times in history for a buyer to feel special.

The national home builder has recently requested permits and is getting ready to start building in a few communities within Virginia. One of those communities is in the Spotsylvania County area where they recently applied for permits to build 6 homes.

Another community is in Loudoun County, where they will be building 16 homes that will each have at least 1/3rd of an acre of land. It’s already been announced that these will be luxury homes starting around $540,000, with 6 floor plans for buyers to choose from.

And this isn’t all. They’ve also applied for permits to build homes in Fredricksburg and Stafford Counties as well. All of these areas are in the northeastern part of the state, close enough to Washington D.C. to make them very attractive for commuters.

Richmond American may be hedging their bet on a recovery in this area, and it seems investors are following along with them, as Deutsche Bank, which recently lowered their price target for shares of the main holding company for their company, has listed them as a stock worthy of a “buy” rating. That’s good news no matter how you look at it.

Seattle is the largest city, population-wise, in the state of Washington, and even the whole Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Seattle is a port city, in the western part of the state of Washington between Puget Sound and an arm of the Pacific Ocean. It is very close to Canada,–approximately 96 miles south of the border. Seattle is a major economic, cultural and educational center for the region.

Seattle’s climate is mild; it is wet in winter and dry in summer, not unlike the Mediterranean. Temperature extremes are moderated by the adjacent Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, and nearby Lake Washington. The region is partially shielded from Pacific storms by the Olympic Mountains and from Arctic air by the Cascade Range. The only downside climate-wise is the city’s reputation for frequent rain.

Seattle is really a city of neighborhoods; it grew together out of a lot of smaller communities. Thus as cities go, it can provide the best of both worlds—small town living and big city living. It is a great city to build a home in. Once you’ve decided to build your home, you must find the right home site. Having done that, you have to cost it out, and don’t forget to include the cost of the land prepping the lot (grading, utilities, etc.), the cost of a building permit, school fees and, of course, the house itself.