The Brighter Side of Housing, an article from The Wall Street Journal Online, reports the silver lining of the housing downturn is that it is helping some people buy homes that they couldn't afford a couple of years ago.  The Wall Street Journal's quarterly survey of housing-market conditions in 28 major metro areas points to continued downward pressure on prices in much of the country, which is causing some buyers to continue holding out for better deals.  Prices in many areas are adjusting back toward more affordable levels, a process that could take several years.  According to Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City Corp., in most of the country, "we're getting a return to normalcy" in the relation between home prices and incomes.  Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs' chief U.S. economist, says the share of a typical family's income needed to pay mortgage payments on a median-priced home averaged about 17.5% from 1993 to 2003, before jumping to 26% in 2006.  That number has now has fallen to 20% and is likely to keep declining as home prices fall, he said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120900800448540861.html?mod=RealEstateMain_1

Additional articles that you may find of interest:

Teens learn to save for a better future
http://www.gazette.com/articles/students_35586___article.html/peak_program.html
 
House panel OKs $15 billion housing bill
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/23/news/economy/housing_bill.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008042317
 
Nine ways to enhance a home's curb appeal
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/23/real_estate/curb_appeal.moneymag/index.htm?postversion=2008042405
 
Backlash grows against the housing bailout
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/21/real_estate/bailout_backlash/index.htm?postversion=2008042315
 
Drinks? DJs? See Realtor Inside
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120899931905740169.html?mod=RealEstateMain_1
 
New Rules for Borrowers With Foreclosures
http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2008042303