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While many real estate professionals bemoan slow sales, and many homeowners fret over foreclosure, there's another side to the real estate downturn: Some buyers are taking advantage of falling prices, and some sellers are cashing in.
Henry and Sussana Ontiveros were in big trouble two months ago. Their Modesto home's adjustable-rate mortgage had jumped to 9 percent, boosting their payment to $3,300 a month.
The region's top real estate pros warned us a couple of years ago that home values in the Northern San Joaquin Valley were overinflated.