Columbus Dispatch: First-time home buyers rushing to close.. I am quoted :-)

If you are a first time home buyer and you want a home...start looking now!

clipped from www.dispatch.com Deadline for $8,000 tax credit boosts market The number of affordable houses is shrinking in central Ohio as first-time homebuyers rush to capitalize on a federal tax credit for home purchases. About 5,000 homes are for sale in central Ohio for less than $130,000, down from more than 6,500 a year ago, according to figures compiled by the real-estate company Real Living. Real-estate agents and lenders recommend that buyers be in contract for a house 30 days to 45 days before the deadline if they hope to close by the deadline. "You really need to be in contract by Oct. 15," said Terry Penrod, a Real Living agent active in the University District and other parts of Columbus. "Typically, you want 30 days to close, but if there's a dramatic influx of requests because of this tax credit, it may take a long time. "You need to be out there now looking."