Right now can be a great time to buy property, despite a number of high profile problems that seem to have hit the housing market over the last few months.
Some experts believe that the Northern Rock troubles, the introduction of HIPS, five rises in interest rates and endless debate over whether or not prices are rising or falling, will stop some people going out to buy property.
But while that will make some people think twice about putting their house up for sale, it also creates opportunities for enterprising investors to sneak in and maybe get a bargain.
The news has been full of what could be perceived as negative property stories recently.
The building society Northern Rock found its shares falling by more than a quarter after it was forced to ask the Bank of England for emergency funding.
It's believed the financial problems in American markets has made banks a little reluctant to loan each other money.
Most banks lend money paid into savings accounts by other customers so aren't as badly affected by the USA troubles. Northern Rock has built its business around mortgages, funded by borrowing from other banks.
As one of the UK's biggest mortgage lenders, it help thousands around the UK buy property. The crisis saw some people panic and withdraw their savings, plus others question whether their mortgage was safe.
Perhaps a bigger scare for those looking to sell or buy property was the introduction of HIPS.
The term stands for Home Information Pack, and when they were initially introduced on 1st August this year, they applied only to four bedroomed homes. Since 10th September they have also applied to properties with three bedrooms.
The idea is that you have to have a HIP prepared before you can put your house up for sale. They were supposed to make it easier and safer for people to buy property, after the government discovered that up to £350 million a year is lost in house purchases that don't go ahead because of problems found by buyers during the process.
Public reaction to HIPS has been poor, with many in the property industry afraid that the up-front cost will put people off putting their home on the market.
The public were also disgusted with five interest rate rises in the last year. The rise in inflation forced the Bank of England's monetary policy committee to make the rises.
And house price growth slowed down in August, with some regions reporting a fall in average house prices for the first time since October 2006. Even
London property prices were affected and slowed down a little in July.
Put together, these problems could put you off buying or selling a property at the moment.
The reality is that on their own, all of these problems are relatively minor, and the opportunities for enterprising people to buy property are as high as they have ever been.
Northern Rock remains a viable building society, with a short-term borrowing problem that will likely go away. Experts say there are financial safeguards in place to protect the bank's customers. The British Bankers' Association described it as a "very sound financial institution."
Industry commentators say HIPS are likely to become more accepted the longer they remain in place. Like any new scheme, there is going to be a settling in period, and they will eventually become just another part of the home buying process.
And ambitious home-building plans plus building demand around the London 2012 Olympics is likely to keep house prices buoyant in the long-term.
Ignore the bad news and you'll see now is as good a time to buy property as any other.
