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Anchor:Your money in the year 2006. Is this the time to get that great new job? Is this the time to sell or to buy a new home? Well our financial contributor Mellody Hobson has canvassed all the expert including herself and she's got some answers this morning , Mellody, Good morning, Happy New Year to you.
Mellody Hobson:Good morning.
Anchor: All right, houses. Is it the time to buy a house? Is it the time to sell a house? What's happening out there?
Mellody Hobson: Well, actually, housing it looks like it's going to be a bust in 2006. The National Association of Realtors just announce that housing sales for the month of November were down 1. 7%. That's the second month in a row. And yet prices are still really high, in fact, in 65 of the biggest markets, the markets are not just overpriced, they are extremely overpriced and headed for a correction or a drop in prices. And it's important to know that mortgage rates have been up, so that's one of the big reasons that it's slowing down buying and it's been up, those rates have been up all year. And on top of that the other big indicator that we saw last week -- mortgage applications are down. Actually last week mortgage applications hit a three-and-a-half-year low. So what does all this mean? Nat, nat!(it means not.) If you are a buyer, I think you are gonna find some bargains out there. And in fact, the president of the National Association of Realtors said yesterday that he expects 2006 to be a buyer's market.
Anchor: Ok! I love someone, first of all, who'd say, nat nat and really no one means it. But it, it is puzzled to both then by the middle of the year you really find bargains and it really will be a buyer's market in a whole new way.
Mellody Hobson:I actually think it will. I think that this, this housing market is gonna bust, I don't think it's going to be the soft landing that people are talking about.
Anchor: All right, your jobs, is this gonna be the year to look for a new job because they're gonna be available or is this a year in which more people again will get laid off.
Mellody Hobson:This is good news on the job front, the Department of Labor reported that in November 215, 000 jobs were added , that's up from 44, 000 in October. December looks good. Companies out there say they're planning to hire in the first quarter of this year and there are still jobs shortages in certain areas like finance, health care and construction.
Anchor:Great to get some optimistic news, and a quick word on the stock market, up downs, boom, bust.
Mellody Hobson:I think 2006 is gonna be a very hard year for the stock market. I'm not expecting big returns but , long term I'm always bullish on stocks , buy the high quality names to withstand the ups and downs that we might see next year.
Anchor:But watch out this year because it could be a little rocky?
Mellody Hobson:It's going to be a little rocky I think so.
Anchor:All right, Mellody thanks again and have a great weekend, a great New Year's Eve.
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