Spread the word.

Whatever happens in Las Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Las Vegas.

But that's a good thing when it comes to home buying.

During the National Association of Realtors Conference and Expo in Las Vegas last week, Realtors released a survey the reveals an overwhelming majority of consumers believe buying a home is a deal they can take to the bank.

Nine out of 10 consumers say buying a home in today's housing market remains a good deal.

The real estate association's National Housing Pulse Survey also revealed 59 percent of those surveyed said right now is a good time to buy a home.

Consumer optimism about the housing market doesn't come without some concerns.

When asked how easy it is to obtain an affordable mortgage, almost six in 10 consumers said getting a mortgage approved is not an easy task. And more than eight in 10 consumers said finding enough money for a down payment and closing costs are also obstacles to buying a home.

Affordability is also an issue.

Nearly seven in 10 of those surveyed said they are concerned about the cost of housing in their communities.

Pat V. Combs, president of the National Association of Realtors said even though consumers have financial concerns in today's soft housing market, they understand owning a home remains a good, tangible, long-term investment.

Sellers, on the other hand, would like a little less conversation and a little more action from the housing market.

Published: November 26, 2007

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.