College Station- When economists in CLeveland and Boston recently ran the numbers, they concluded that houses in this college town were a huge bargain.

Although real estate in some parts of the country is in a slump, purchasing a home in a college town may still be a winning bet.  A recent report from BusinessWeek.com and OnBoard, a local real estate information specialist, finds that 17 of 25 top-tier college towns outperformed their respective states in home-price appreciation in 2007.  Four towns did as well as their states, and only four underperformed:  Williamsburg, VA; Chapel Hill, N.C.; New Haven, Conn.; and Seattle.

 except from, The Residential Specialist September/October 2008 

Many people believe that it is impossible to find the home of their dreams unless they have very large amounts of money available to buy the home that they want. This common belief is not necessarily true, if you know the right places to look, you will be able to find your dream home and not spend a fortune on it.

The condition of real estate is different in every situation. To protect yourself when making such a substantial investment, it is important to have a thorough inspection by a trained professional. Make your offer to purchase property contingent on a satisfactory home inspection, and you will avoid investing in a money pit.