Mixed reports are cropping up everywhere on whether the stress test on the country’s 19 largest banks really indicate a stronger industry. TheBigMoney.com reported a “placebo effect” and said that the reports have sparked a “new round of confidence in the sector,” but still won’t lead banks to make credit available more readily.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was out defending the stress test on Monday saying the public and investors should take “considerable comfort” now that the nation’s largest banks have been evaluated and shortfalls have been identified.

Whatever the case, the boost in confidence in the health in banks may get consumers and businesses out there spending on small and big-ticket items.

Now is the time to get your name out there and work with the boost in confidence. Drop a note to past clients, expedite your direct mail campaign or consider a second mailer if there is room in your budget. This is a great time, to market, market, market!

1. Desire to own a home was buyers primary motivation for wanting to buy (34 percent), followed by job relocation (11 percent) and wanting a larger house (11 percent). Among the least cited reasons to buy were for financial security, tax benefits, and because of greater choice of homes on the market.

2.  Buyers overwhelmingly (62 percent) ranked quality of neighborhood the most important factor in finding the right neighborhood. Quality was defined as level of upkeep and overall appeal. Buyers also ranked convenience to their jobs and affordability of the homes as factors in choosing the right neighborhood.

3. The benefit most buyers say they receive from their real estate agent is guidance about the home buying process. Seventy-nine percent of first-time home buyers said they really benefited from a real estate agent walking them through the process. Other major benefits where agents who pointed out unnoticed features, negotiated better sales contract terms and improved their knowledge of search areas.

4. A little more than half of sellers say they use no incentives to attract buyers to their home. However, 42 percent of sellers reported they did offer some type of incentive, like assistance with closing costs and offering a home warranty policy. The longer a home was on the market, the more likely sellers offered incentives to lure prospective buyers.

5. The 25-34 age group represents the largest segment of buyers, followed by 35 to 44 years, then 45-54 age group. The average age of the U.S. home buyer is 39 years old and has an average median income of $74,900.

6. The top four compromises buyers make when buying a home are in the price of the home, followed by the size of the home, the home’s condition, and lastly, the distance to work.

7. One-third of buyers start the home-buying process by searching the Internet for properties. Others say they start the process by contacting a real estate agent or research online about the home buying process.

8. Buyers overwhelmingly rated photos on a real estate Web site as “very useful” to their search. Other top-ranking features were finding information about properties for sale and virtual tours. Details about upcoming open houses and information about recently sold properties were the least useful features to buyers.

9. Fixed-rate mortgages were by far the most popular type of load first-time home buyers and repeat buyers use.

10. The most common reason sellers put their house on the market was because of a job-related move. A close second was because the home was too small—the top reason among sellers aged 44 years or younger.