Get Schooled

If you were lucky enough to make it through the housing crisis unscathed, you might want to learn a few lessons from your less fortunate peers. First time buyers were not only victims of bad timing, but many of them were simply ill informed. Now is your chance to equip yourself with the information they didn't have, or if you were burned the first time around go out and get the arsenal you'll need the next time you storm the market.

Organizations like United Housing in Memphis and Beyond Housing in St. Louis offer home finance classes and have seen a rise in attendance rates. "People need to be frightened when it comes to buying a home," Beyond Housing's executive director Chris Krehmeyer told a Reuters reporter. "It's not an investment to be taken lightly." The classes teach students about interest rates, property taxes, and the importance of having a good credit rating. Take a class, get informed and you'll feel more powerful when its time for you to negotiate a deal. [Fox Business]