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• 77% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.
• 10% of buyers purchased a home in foreclosure, up from 3% in 2008.
• 44% of buyers found their agent through a referral from a friend or family member.

• For more than one-third of home buyers, the first step in the home-buying process was looking online for properties.
• Nine in ten home buyers or 94% used the internet to search for homes.
• Real estate agents were viewed as a very useful information source by 81% of buyers who used an agent while searching for a home.
• The typical home buyer searched for 12 weeks and viewed 12 homes.

• New home purchases were at the lowest level in eight years--dow to 18 percent of all recent home purchases.
• The typical home purchased was 1,800 sq. ft. in size and was built in 1991.
• Seventy-eight percent of home buyers purchased a detached single family home.
• The median price of home purchased was $210,000 in the Northeast, $158,000 in the Midwest, $175,000 in the South, and $240,000 in the West.
• When considering the purchase of a home, commuting costs were considered very or somewhat important by 78% of buyers.

"National Association of Realtors"

1. Forty-seven percent of recent home buyers were first time buyers.
2. The typical first time home buyer was 30 years old, whil the typical repeat buyer was 48 years old.
3. The 2008 median household income of buyers was $73,100. The median income was $61,600 among first time buyers and $88,100 among repeat buyers.
4. Twenty-one percent of recent home buyers were single females, and 10 percent were single males.
5. For one third of recent home buyers, the primary reason for the recent home purchas was the desire to own a home.

Outside bankers from national firms didn't even try selling Nebraskans on fast money mortgages that blew up the U.S. economy. They knew they'd run into the resistance of conservative mid-west values. As a result, Nebraska is barely suffering from the financial crisis and its housing markets remain among the most stable in the nation.

The 4^th of July is this weekend and I find myself reflecting back to days of old. To be or not to be is the question many parents ask themselves. The questions I asked when my son was just a toddler were, will I be a worry wart and overprotective like my parents were with me? Or will I be more easy going and give my kid a little more leeway? These are the questions that come up before you have children and go out the window once they are here. It’s only then that you realize that you will be whatever you need to be from a stern drill sergeant to a cream puff at times to ensure your child is happy, healthy and successful. And it usually means being exactly like your parents were with you!

Every 4^th of July we would get together with family and the neighbors and there would be plenty of fireworks around. My parents would not allow us to get near any. I always wished I could join in the fun with the other kids. Now as a parent, I recognize the danger of fireworks and appreciate their approach. But the great news is there are ways that your children can enjoy fireworks and can have great memories of this special time of year.

I’m sure you can relate to letting someone else do the work. This is the best approach for fireworks safety. Attend a public fireworks display and leave the lighting to the professionals. At my home we get a great view of the fireworks. We invite our friends and family over to sit on the back deck and watch the display.

If you still feel compelled to allow your children to experience some fireworks of their own keep the following tips in mind offered by The National Council on Fireworks Safety.

• Always read and follow label directions.
• Have an adult present.
• Buy from reliable sellers.
• Use outdoors only.
• Always have water handy (a garden hose and a bucket).
• Never experiment or make your own fireworks.
• Light only one firework at a time.
• Never re-light a "dud" firework (wait 15 to 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water).
• Never give fireworks to small children.
• If necessary, store fireworks in a cool, dry place.
• Dispose of fireworks properly by soaking them in water and then disposing of them in your trash can.
• Never throw or point fireworks at other people.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
• Never shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
• The shooter should always wear eye protection and never have any part of the body over the firework.
• Stay away from illegal explosives.

This 4^th of July I’ll be at home watching the fireworks display. I hope that you will be safe and have a blast this holiday!