It has never been a better time to buy real estate.  The federal housing tax credit is enabling anyone who hasn't owned a primary residence in the last 3 years to obtain a first-time homebuyer credit of up to $8,000 or 10 percent of the home purchase price.  In our area, the West Virginia Housing Development Fund is offering a 3-2-1 Buy Down Program as a means to help families buy a new home.  They are also offering a product called Monthly Plus, which protects home buyers in the event of involuntary unemployment or if they suffer an accident that prevents them from working for 30 days.