Home sales posted their sharpest drop in 18 years this week (April 07).   As a homeowner, you can't ignore the headlines. Here are the smartest moves you can make if you're selling your home or even staying put.

2: Spend wisely......

3: It's still your problem

Even if you've been making your mortgage payments on time, foreclosures in your area can hurt your property value. In fact, for every home that goes into foreclosure in your neighborhood, your property value drops by about 1 percent.

So, if you have three foreclosed properties in your neighborhood, your home will fall about 3 percent. And it will stay depressed for at least two years, according to the Center for Responsible Lending.