The other day, I had several errands to run, and when I pulled my car up to a department store parking lot...it was full! Under the weight of my usual to-do list, I normally would've been frustrated, but instead, I was elated! I continued on with my errands, only to find the next two situations exactly the same. People were out, places were crowded. Later that evening I went to dinner in a local restaurant that was so busy the wait for a table was 45 minutes.

What could have been a series of annoyances turned into signs that people were showing more consumer confidence by spending again. Keep your fingers crossed that we have several months of increased consumer spending -- perhaps brought on by recent stock market gains.

Today is a great time to sell a home, while inventory levels remain low and in most cases prices have been holding steady.

It's also a great time to buy, as the interest rates are exceptionally low and there are some truly great buys to be found in this market.Remember -- you only know when things have hit bottom when they start to go back up. And things sure seem to be looking up!Have you found yourself more confident to dip your toe in the retail pool? I'd love to hear about it.

Warmest regards,

Rina