Personal Finance Daily: How to know if it's time to buy a home

Personal Finance Daily NOVEMBER 28, 2011 How to know if it's time to buy a home By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: How to know whether it's time to buy a home When the budget calls for a move back home Auto Review: 2012 Buick LaCrosse Investors question, columnist answers There are six essential questions you should ask before you decide to buy a home or continue to rent in this market, Amy Hoak writes today in her Home Economics column. It's not only a must to closely examine affordability in the housing market; you also need to consider additional costs of home ownership, how long you plan to stay in the house and what your own future holds. It's a great checklist for anyone who's considering taking the plunge while mortgage rates and home prices are low. With economic growth sluggish and jobless numbers stubbornly high, many Americans don't even have a choice between renting and buying. Adults of all ages have been finding they can no longer afford to live on their own and so they've moved back in with Mom and Dad — sometimes with a spouse and kids in tow — to save money and get back on their feet. Meanwhile, more elderly parents, facing smaller nest eggs and higher health-care costs, are moving in with their adult kids. Read about what's called "boomerang living" in today's Personal Finance section of MarketWatch. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance How to know whether it's time to buy a home As another year of the housing downturn ends, some are wondering if it finally is more advantageous to buy instead of rent, given discounted home prices and mortgage rates near historical lows. Read more: How to know whether it's time to buy a home. When the budget calls for a move back home Call it boomerang living. With the effects of the lousy employment, stock and real-estate markets taking their toll, adults of all ages have been finding they can no longer afford to live on their own. Read more: When the budget calls for a move back home. Auto Review: 2012 Buick LaCrosse If you're looking for a comfy four-door, Buick's LaCrosse should be near the top of your shopping list. Read more: 2012 Buick LaCrosse. TAXES The tax mess deepens This week, Congress's special 12-member deficit-cutting committee failed to agree on even a broad outline for addressing the U.S.'s fiscal woes. It marked the third year in a row that taxpayers headed into December with major tax-code issues unaddressed. Read more: The tax mess deepens. INVESTING Investors question, columnist answers Among the many things Chuck Jaffe says he's thankful for at the holiday season — and all year — are the inquiring minds of readers. Here are a few good questions that popped up after some recent columns. Read more: Investors question, columnist answers. Impact investors earn more than good karma The majority of small, social enterprises aimed at doing good in the developing world are profitable. Read more: Impact investors earn more than good karma. Market boosts bears, breaks brave bull A withering week leaves the bears rampant, and breaks at least one brave bull. Read more: Market boosts bears, breaks brave bull. ECONOMY & POLITICS Consumer debt declines in third quarter Consumer debt declines slightly during the third quarter as Americans continue to deleverage in the wake of the housing crisis, according to a study released Monday. Read more: Consumer debt declines in third quarter. New-home sales barely changed in October Sales of new single-family homes were barely changed in October and there was little evidence of any improvement in the slumping U.S. housing market. Read more: New-home sales barely changed in October. Thanksgiving is the new shopping holiday This year, stores rolled back opening times to nab an even-earlier shopper. Many opened at midnight. Some were ringing up sales on Thanksgiving day. And it paid off. Read more: Thanksgiving is the new shopping holiday. Euro zone weighs tighter fiscal ties European officials reportedly agree on how to leverage a key rescue fund, while Germany and France are said to be looking at how to deepen fiscal integration in the euro zone. Read more: Euro zone weighs tighter fiscal ties. Get the latest news on our mobile site: http://www.marketwatch.com/m MarketWatch has sent you this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. To ensure you receive this newsletter in the future, please add marketwatchmail.com to your list of approved senders. Sent to: kumaresan.selva.blogger@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Subscribe Copyright 2011 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (updated 6/26/07). MarketWatch - Attn: Customer Service, 201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111