February is the month we will hear the word "love" quite often as people think of Valentine's Day. People love their wife, husband, parents, children and pets. This over-used word also states that we love specific foods, warm weather, a certain jacket, a favorite restaurant, a walk on the beach ...

So I'm going to use the word for one more topic - home sales. The Census Bureau recently stated that 2010 had the lowest home sales in almost half a century, to the tune of only 321,000. That was a drop of over 14% from 2009, and the 5th consecutive year of decreasing sales.

So, what's to love? December saw a rise in sales. And according to National Mortgage News, new home supplies dropped from 8.4 months in November to 6.9 months in December. Additional good news: across the nation, mortgage brokers are now seeing an increase in purchase applications.

This, along with other economic indicators, shows that we are slowly pulling out of the recession. It appears that we are going to be able to love 2011. This means you might be able to start looking for the house you would love to have. And while looking, planning and preparing, it's probably time to give your current house that tender, loving care to get it ready for market.

And when you're ready, Grandview Lending would love to take care of your mortgage needs!