Stephanie Walker and her boyfriend Bob are tackling the economic crisis head on: by skiing in the alps.

Are they nuts? Or are they onto something?

"In the Fall of 2007 when Bob was still making the big bucks, we won six nights at two five-star luxury hotels in Europe at a silent auction for charity" writes Stephanie. "Fast forward eleven months to us both being unemployed and near penniless. But we still had these two hotel stays, enough frequent flier miles to get us to Europe and a lot of time."

First-time home-buyers across America have until November 30 to benefit from the Federal Government's tax credit that can add up to as much as $8,000 and, in some cases, can be used for the down payment on a home.

But for New Yorkers the news are even better, thanks to Mayor Bloomberg's "New Housing Marketplace Plan". As part of this plan the New York City HPD (Housing Preservation and Development agency) has created a special program that provides qualified home-buyers with up to 6% of a home's price toward the down payment or closing costs.

When Victor Vangelakos and his wife Cathy bought a unit at the Oasis I - a luxury Florida condo tower - in 2005, they were thinking of retiring, meeting new people, enjoying the pool, spa, fitness center and other recreational facilities. It would have been life in paradise.

When looking for the best opportunities, the best time to buy is the complete absolute bottom of the market. For many home-buyers, 2009 is it. Nationally-renowned financial advisor Suze Orman recently called this moment in real estate "the time for opportunities of a lifetime".

But there are signs that real-estate markets are beginning to recover. An article in the L.A. Times cites the S&P/Case-Shiller index as an indicator that home prices in 20 major cities rose in May over April levels - a first since 2006.

The real estate industry is seeing an enormous period of growth in buyer activity, as of last month.

Despite the increased demand for property, prices remain low. If people continue to buy real estate at this rate, however, competition for the best homes at the best prices is sure to grow tight. Better buy now --and quick.

Check out this enlightening, yet painlessly short report I found in the BaltimoreSun yesterday: