Do you live in Detroit or Pittsburgh?  If you do, it might be a good time to buy a house if you are renting.  In those two cities, it's actually cheaper to won a home than to rent.  If that's not surprising enough, the firm that put the report together actually assumed the mortgage would finance 100% of the purchase price.  So, if you have a decent down payment (or any down payment at all), it could be substantially less expensive to be a home owner.  The top 10 least expensive metro areas to buy a home, when compared to renting are:


1.  Detroit, MI
2.  Pittsburgh, PA
3.  Rochester, NY
4.  Memphis, TN
5.  Tampa, FL
6.  Cleveland, TN
7.  Dayton, OH
8.  Columbus, SC
9.  Orlando, FL
10. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX


     If you've been thinking of purchasing a home, and you live in one of these metro areas, you should strongly consider your options.  Even if you don't live in one of these areas, there is a good chance your local real estate market has also softened considerably.  Every local market is different, but this is just one more indicator that shows that there are plenty of bargains out there,