We love bargains. The malls and stores are crowded on Black Friday with shoppers searching for the best bargains. We’ll drive from one store to the next searching for the best price. Car dealers bombard   us with ads for bargain priced cars, often with low or no interest financing or no cost options. We love eBay and Craigslist because we love to search for bargains.

Does the same hold true for housing? Interest rates are now  approaching record lows and the inventory of houses for sale has reached the highest level in 20 years. Many experts believe that the main force holding back the real estate market in late 2007 is consumer confidence. Concern about rising gas prices, increased home heating costs, and daily fluctuation in the stock market and other financial markets.

In spite of these factors, many consumers are noticing that the real estate market is full of bargains. This week’s Mortgage Banker’s Association Survey revealed that loan applications continue to show a steady increase. Although the increase in real estate and mortgage activity doesn’t get  as much  publicity  as  crazed shoppers fighting over the latest hot item on Black Friday, the trend speaks for itself.