It is reported that home values have decreased 17% across the country. And I know they have decreased where I live, in Milwaukee -- so what gives with my taxes? They just continue to go up. We just received notice of a 14.5% increase for next year. Supposedly taxes are based on home values and our house is compared to others in the neighborhood. If values are going down -- why aren't taxes?

I know, it is said that taxes never go down. But I just don't get it. Every year services get cut, the parks are neglected and my leaves sit in the street. Not sure where the taxes are going but it isn't for services. The roads are full of potholes and they are talking about taking down Hoan Bridge, which connects my area of town to the city, because the cost of repairs are too high. Where is all the money going?

I don't know about the rest of the country but mismanagement, sweetheart deals for some of the city and county employees and waste are at least part of the problem. Milwaukee's county executive, Scott Walker, continues to cut services to our beautiful park system while giving one of his key staff members a 33% raise. Our previous county executive was a part of a pension scandal that has cost taxpayers millions. Why do I have to pay for other people's mistakes?

These are the kinds of issues that voters are upset about. Make sure your voice is heard in the voting booth.

Barbara Bartlein is the People Pro. For her FREE e-mail newsletter, please visit: The People Pro.

Earlier this week I was having lunch with a coworker, discussing the current financial situation and comparing cutbacks at home and in our various departments at work. While we were talking about issues facing people we knew he shared the account of a close friend who had recently begun to look for a home. He had already been pre-approved for a home loan and was busy finding homes in his price range when the lender let him know that his pre-approval had been pulled, leaving him without the ability to purchase a house.

Having home ownership snatched from your fingertips, especially after you already met the tighter loan restrictions that the meltdown brought about would be a major downer. When I was telling my parents about this unfortunate story they said it reminded them of the circumstances surrounding their home buying process. My parents had been house hunting for a while and my dad left work early to get the loan finalized. In the time it took my him to take a shower their ability to buy afford the homes they had picked was wiped out because Ronald Reagan had been shot, causing the financial markets to take a drastic hit.

Even though I don't have nearly as much to lose in my retirement account as my elders, the sad state of our economy has still had an effect on my life plans, but not all for the worse. I share many of the same concerns as they do regarding the strength of our economy and the overall health of our financial institutions but by virtue of my youth I see fewer immediate downsides and a silver lining inside the gloomy forecast.

Since we didn't get caught up in the fever of home ownership that swept America recently, my wife and I aren't in the position to lose our home because of the rising interest rates that many others were hit with. Even though we dodged the subprime bullet, one of my biggest concerns is that when we are ready to purchase a home in the near future we won't be able to get a mortgage with favorable terms thanks to constricting credit.

As far as retirement goes, I'm still socking away as much as I can in the hope that I make out well when the upswing happens, but I'm worried about being called upon some day to finance the retirement of my older coworkers as well as the remnants of the bailout package. Speaking of employment; I'm not losing sleep over my livelihood as a result of the current crisis because two of my three jobs are in higher education, an industry which I think will fare better than others.

While I am concerned that it may be harder to get a mortgage in the near future, the current housing slump means that we may be able to purchase a house sooner than we had anticipated. With sinking housing prices and several forms of government incentives, it's likely that we'll be able to purchase a home that fits both our needs and wants without overextending our reach.

All things considered, I'm concerned but not distressed by the current financial crisis. At 25 I have plenty of time to build my retirement savings and have multiple sources of income, none of which are attached to the banking industry. I have my worries about the financial well being of my older family members, the overall health of the economy, and the leadership of the country; but I am confident in myself and my generation's ability to cope with the current situation.

Don't you hate the first time you make a certain kind of purchase? We've all been in the situation when even the tidbits of advice you have heard over the years don't fully prepare you for the transaction.

The first time I felt this way about a deal was when I bought my first car. I made some goofy decisions and even though I did it half right I still felt like I could have gotten a better deal if I had been through the process before. As my wife and I are exploring home ownership I can't help but think that I am going to feel the same way about our home purchase.

Yesterday I found a great resource which really raised my hopes for taking out a mortgage and buying a home without remorse. The aptly titled article, "How to Get a Mortgage" on Mahalo.com breaks down the process of getting a mortgage into bite size morsels of knowledge so detailed and applicable it should be printed in pamphlets and handed out in front of every bank!

Anytime that something is nationally recognized as "The American Dream", there's a good chance that it's overrated.

In the midst of record foreclosures, and plummeting home values leaving people upside down on their mortgages (i.e. they owe more than the home is currently worth), the American Dream has turned into the American Nightmare for too many families.

But let's not write the elegy for homeownership just yet: the reality is that a home is the best investment most people will ever make and, according to a 2004 Federal Reserve study, the average renter had a net worth of $4,000 while the average homeowner's net worth was $184,000 -- homeowners are 46 times richer than renters.

Don't miss the rest of our series on Overrated people, places and things!

It's likely that that gap is smaller because of widespread declines in home values but, long-term, most people who want to be financially secure should look into owning their own homes. But in order for a home to be a good investment, it has to make sense. Here's how you can tell if it makes sense:

• Is it cheaper, or at least comparable to, renting? Add up monthly mortgage costs, taxes and other expenses on a home you're considering buying. If it ends up costing a lot more than you could rent something comparable for, there's a good chance you'll be better off continuing to rent and investing that extra cash. Don't forget to factor in the mortgage interest tax deduction.
• Will you be staying there long enough to justify the expenditure of funds on closing costs and then commissions when you sell?

Homeownership is a wonderful thing, but it's not the free lunch that it was sold as in recent years.

Whether 'tis nobler in the minds of your parents and friends to rent; than to suffer the slings and arrows of home ownership, I have a few calculators that will help you make the decision based on your unique situation. Owning a home is an idea which is drilled into us from the moment we become financially aware of the cost to live someplace. Many people consider renting to be throwing away money which you could be using to build equity. In reality the true cost benefit of owning a home relies on many factors including home price, rental increase, home value appreciation and length of ownership.

You can't watch television, pick up a newspaper, or peek at a personal finance blog without hearing doom and gloom about the American economy. Everywhere I turn it's "housing crisis" or "subprime meltdown" or some other dire-sounding catch phrase. And while I'm all for personal fiscal responsibility, sensible budgeting, and living within one's means, sometimes the cries of "danger, danger" just get to be too much.

Every news organization is polling consumers to see how dismal life has become - and they're all telling tales of woe. Yesterday's poll asked consumers about purchasing a home, and 60% of consumers said they definitely won't buy a house in the next two years. That's up from 53% in a similar poll conducted 18 months ago. And this is something that should cause us to panic? I'd actually think this is something good... the numbers haven't changed that much even though the media claims that we're on the brink of disaster.

Besides, is it really all that bad if consumers are going to wait a little longer to buy homes? Maybe that will give them a chance to save more and become more financially prepared for all the costs that go into home ownership. While this may be disheartening for those trying to sell their homes now, I say that this is good news when it comes to having homeowners who are more ready for the financial responsibility of owning a home.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.