Are you in the market to buy a new home? That's a question many people would have laughed at just a few years ago.
But more people are emerging from the housing purgatory created by the Great Recession.
Jeffrey Sawyer, a real estate agent in Palm Coast, has seen both highs and lows with the housing market in Flagler County and surrounding areas.
"Not only have I seen investors come into the market, but finally we're being introduced to first-time homebuyers," Sawyer said.
A recent report released by the University of Central Florida shows the median home price for a house in Florida peaked in 2006 at around $258,000.
The current median home price in the state is $177,000.
Matthew Wilson, president of the Flagler County Association of Realtors, said it's important to make sure you're "financeable" when looking to get into a home, especially if you're a first-time buyer.
"That would also inform you as to the level of credit you are eligible for," Wilson said. "There's no reason to look at homes that you're only going to be disappointed."
The people who were first caught in the housing crisis are just now starting to reenter the market, but it's not easy.
"Many of them had their credit very badly beaten with bankruptcy, the loss of property and loss of credit rating," Sawyer said.
Real estate professionals said lenders rarely see perfect credit applications nowadays, but that's not always the case.
"You don't need perfect credit," Wilson said. "If there's a little bit of a hiccup in your credit, the lenders are looking over, you know, looking past some of that."
Many of the foreclosure bargains in Florida have already been snapped up by investors, real estate professionals said.
And if you're lucky enough to have cash, the road to home ownerships is considerably less bumpy.