Jeff Hanson has been in no hurry to buy a home over the past two years, content to watch as home prices in most areas along the Wasatch Front continue to slide.

But the recent extension of the $8,000 federal home buying incentive has convinced Hanson that now's the time to buy, even if he isn't exactly sure the market has hit bottom.

'It's really the combination of the incentive, the lower home prices and low interest rates,' said Hanson, who has been renting for several years.

It's difficult even for the experts to know if the market in Utah has already bottomed or if home prices will fall even further. But one thing is for sure: The mix of lower prices, low rates and buying incentive is a powerful combination that isn't expected to be around beyond mid-2010.