“I’m ready to buy,” a longtime friend recently told me. “I’m finally ready.”

Jane (not her real name), a single woman in her early 40s, was no financial wallflower. She’d been kicking career booty for as long as I’d known her and socking away her extra dough. Yet despite an ample income (and no expensive habits like Jimmy Choo shoes, crack or children), she’d stayed on the sidelines of the housing market.

What kept her renting? A certain kind of financial caution and a feeling that the market was too insane to participate in. But now that things seemed to be settling down, she feels the time is right.

 Q: I am selling my first home, a small house, so I can buy a larger house for my family. Being an immigrant, I am not familiar with real estate rules. However, a friend of a friend is a real estate agent. She told me how listings work and gave me a form to sign. I didn’t really understand it.

That was about seven months ago. She has only brought a few prospects to look at my house, which is small but very well maintained. It has fresh paint and looks as good as possible. But I am very disappointed with the agent. She doesn’t return my phone calls and avoids me at social events. Upon reading my listing, I see it is for 12 months. How can I get out of this bad deal?

 (12-17) 04:00 PST Washington — Home buyers and refinancers face higher fees for credit reports beginning Jan. 1 — a boost that has mortgage, credit industry and consumer group leaders fuming.

Some believe the higher fees will have an inordinately heavy impact on moderate-income and minority first-time mortgage applicants who have nontraditional credit patterns, marginal credit scores or thin credit files.

They also predict that as a result of the increased costs, mortgage loan officers may not shop as aggressively for such clients — leaving them with higher interest rates and worse mortgage choices than they would otherwise receive.

 Q: A co-worker said I could move into his apartment. My name was not on the lease but I was paying him rent. Three months later, he told me he wanted me to move out. Because I owed him $150, I agreed to leave my belongings there until I paid him. It was close to four months before I could get him the money. I then found out he sold or gave away all my property. Is there anything I can legally do? I was not on the lease but friends and family knew I was living there.

 (12-17) 04:00 PST Los Angeles — Seven years ago actor Noah Wyle of “ER” fame and his wife, Tracy, bought actress Bo Derek’s Santa Ynez (Santa Barbara County) ranch and some adjacent land for close to $2.5 million. No, this isn’t a seven-year-itch story. The Wyles like the ranch so much that they’re selling their in-town house so they can spend more time in the country.