Money Guru Jean Chatzky Says Buy Now

One financial expert thinks a vacation home might be a great buy this spring.

"Like most of you, I own my primary residence, have no intention of moving soon and am locked into a fixed mortgage at a decent rate. So rather than getting all worked up about how much my house may (temporarily) decline in value because of the subprime fiasco, I'm thinking about whether falling prices present a real opportunity," writes Money Magazine's Jean Chatzky.

"A second home might be the ticket....So the market is soft. Good. And mortgage rates are down to 2004 levels. Even better. Is it time to buy? Maybe."

Chatzy herself is looking at the Jersey Shore. Still, she urges patience, caution and lowball bids on places on the Altantic and Gulf Coast beach towns, where prices could drop farther.