From Homescape

Yesterday was the kick off of the Lunar New Year — or as most people commonly call it, Chinese New Year. Call it superstition or just tradition, but my family looks to the zodiac signs to help guide our decisions for the coming year. So if you’re wondering if this is the year for you to buy a new home or switch careers, here’s what the astrologers are advising:

This is the Year of the Rat, which is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac and signifies new beginnings. So this year is a good time to start new ventures, especially groundbreakings, according to Astrology.com.

“This includes new ideas, directions, and ways of doing things. It is a time to experiment and put plans into action, as there will be plenty of opportunities to achieve success. Something to consider is that which is begun now is likely to have long term consequences, so choose wisely to enrich your life,” Astrology.com advises.

However, this is not the year to take huge risks, so for new home buyers, stay away from home loans with Adjustable Rate Mortgages, if possible. And if you can’t afford to buy, spend the next year saving up so you can comfortably invest in that perfect dream home.

Homebuilder’s luck

Looking at the characteristics of both Earth and rat, it could be a very good year for those with careers in business, construction, engineering, academia, planning and the clergy. This could be some much needed news for homebuilders across the country. Home sales in 2007 hit records lows. Forbes.com reported that shares of homebuilders slumped after a government report last month showed sales of new homes in the United States fell much more than expected in December — to the lowest pace since February 1995 — and prices plunged. The Commerce Department said new home sales in December fell 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 604,000 units. For the entire year of 2007, the number of new homes sold in the U.S. was 40.7 percent lower than in 2006, the largest decline since September 1981.

Astrologers believe 2008 may not be a spectacular year, but it’s a year of possibilities and a time for progress. Those who take the biggest risks could be disappointed, so it may be best to be bearish rather than bullish on Wall Street. Two of the strongest characteristics of the rat include being energetic and versatile, allowing it to usually find its way around obstacles and easily adapt to various environments. For those in the housing industry, this will be a year of many obstacles, but those who continue to trudge forward will adapt and find a way out of the maze.

What are your housing predictions for 2008?

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com