The process of buying a home is typically long and involved, and many people who enter it are anxious to get it over with as soon as they can. Whether they are pressured by time concerns or simply anxious to start life in their new home, many buyers look for ways to accelerate the process. However, with such an important process, most experts recommend that homebuyers exhibit patience and take the necessary time to find the right house for their needs.

Many factors are involved in deciding whether it is the right time to sell your house: the condition of the property, the state of your neighborhood and, of course, whether it's a good time for you and your family to move to a new location. However, perhaps even more important than any of these factors in determining whether to list your home is the overall health of the housing market.

When the housing crisis and economic recession hit, it put many prospective homebuyers’ plans on hold, forcing those considering purchasing a home into the rental market. Now, as the economy continues to improve, some of those renters are looking to own.

There are many reasons why the real estate market may be somewhat appealing to some right now. For the first time since the recession, there has been steady and consistent growth that has investors cautiously optimistic about getting back into the market. With additional government tax incentives for first-time buyers and a significant portion of the population considering purchasing a home to be a wise investment, quite a few will be looking to take advantage of near-record-low interest rates.

The list of housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement held virtually unchanged in May at 100, down from 101 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). The number of states represented on the list also held firm from the previous month, at 35 (including the District of Columbia).

This month’s NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index reveals that the number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a fourth consecutive month, rising from 30 in November to 41.

The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown at least six months of improvement in employment and housing prices as well as an increase in housing permits.

The December list featured 20 new additions, including several major markets such as Washington, D.C., San Jose, Calif., and Toledo, Ohio. Meanwhile, nine smaller markets dropped off the list, primarily due to softer house prices.

See a complete list of the metros featured in the December NAHB / First American Improving Markets Index.

You probably have a lot of questions if this is your first time buying a property. One query you may not have considered is who owned the property or condo unit before you. It may be an odd question to have, but past owners have the potential of influencing your future - unless you have purchased title insurance.