ARDMORE, OK -- The housing market appears to be rebounding. Tuesday the Commerce Department said new home sales across the country rose by 11 percent in June. Even with that good news, it's still harder to get approved for a mortgage. Daniel Armbruster spoke with professionals about what to do if you plan to buy or sell a home in the near future.

The days of buying a home with zero down are certainly gone. Getting a mortgage is not as easy as it used to be, as banks are more cautious who they lend to, but Loan Officer Betsy Wright says don't let that discourage you if you're serious about buying a home.

"Very much of a myth that people think that banks aren't lending money, which we are," Wright said.

Wright says now is the time to buy because mortgage interest rates are about as low as they can go. The first thing you need is good credit. If you apply for FHA loan, you must have a minimum credit score of 620. You must also be able to show proof of income. And on an FHA loan you must be able to down 3 and a half percent of the loan. Wright says traditional loans, you must able to put down 5 percent.

"FHA just seems like it's just perfect for the first time home buyer whose trying to squeak in that last dollar to get into a house," said Wright.

Once you're approved you can either build a home or buy. That means you'll need a real estate agent and a builder. Carolyn Yeager, has been a agent for nearly 20 years. She says when buy or selling a home, finding an agent who understands the market is important.

"You've got to have somebody that is knowledgeable and is good in Marketing," said Yeager.

According to Yeager, the Internet can be important tool to finding a home and speeding the process up. If you want to build a home, builder Lance Windel says if you want to save money, go with one that is semi-custom.

"You still get to make some choices," said Windel. "It's not totally cookie-cutter. Not all of these houses look the same. You get a lot of choices, but you don't get every choice."

Windel says high end home construction is sluggish in Carter county, but mid-level priced homes, between $100,000 and $175,000 dollars are still on a steady pace.

"It's starting to move but it was a little bit sluggish when the whole economy hit the down turn, but right now in the mid-priced homes we're doing pretty well," said Windel.