SELLERS: Remember the good old days? Did you notice how quickly the market shifted or did you blink? However, homes — still in scant supply — continue to sell.

While some buyers have moved the sidelines, others still recognize that homes will appreciate, on average (over time), 4 percent annually. Buyers’ return is much greater if they financed their properties. The return on their investment – the amount they put down – is much greater, since buyers used and leveraged their lender’s money to build their fortune.