A push off the fence? The downward trend in mortgage rates also could inspire buyers who are sitting on the fence to make a decision to buy, said Delores Conway, director of the Casden Forecast at the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate. Already, builders are having blow-out sales designed to "pull in the fence sitters," she said. Oftentimes buyers are worried that if they buy now, the price of their home might go down, she said. "And I think some are concerned about the economy. That is a very real concern." News of the credit crunch in August also didn't help, she said.
