It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Our country has a long history with growth and change. In fact, the aforementioned actions are what propelled our United States into becoming a leader amongst the world's nations to begin with.
In these long, last few years, we have begun to "grow and change" in ways that we weren't aware we needed to. Change is tough. It is work. They say that we have to do something for at least 28 days before it becomes a habit. Many of us have had much longer than that to get used to all of the change that we have been experiencing in our daily lives as well as how it is going to be in the future. Life does not come easy these days and the choices we make now (of course they always did matter as much as they do now) will put us in a good place, in fact a great place, later on.
Digesting so much loss, whether it is of a cherished home or a financial investment, a crashed 401K or a tanked stock portfolio, creates a fear and a panic that is palpable. So much so that in these "worst of times" it is hard to feel good about ones next step. So we wait and watch and wonder.
The elements that came together to create the condition that we are faced with as a nation and the world as an economic whole were born from the opposite of the only financial advise I ever received from my Mama when she succinctly said: "Be careful not to spend more money than you make." Thanks Mom, but people don't have all the money they need to buy a house. They have to borrow it. So now I can hear her saying: "Pay attention to the sales and you can save what you would have overpaid for."
The elements that exist now in the real estate market follow the advise of my Mother. Money is on sale. In fact, it is at it's "lowest price of the year." Homes are on sale as well.
I picture myself sitting with Mom and watching Gone With the Wind, the perfect tale of "the worst of times" and I hear Gerald O' Hara, Scarlett's Father saying: "Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, that Tara, that land doesn't mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts."