As we head into a new and traditionally busy time of year for the real estate market, families are wondering, has the market recovered?

Since 2006, real estate website Streeteasy. com has provided NYC families access to market information that matters to them even allowing users to search virtually all of the citys listings according to criteria such as zoned public school or specifi c building amenity.

More and more parents are choosing to raise their kids in the city, and it's easy to see why. There's no other place in the world where such an array of arts and culture, public parks and green spaces, top schools and diverse neighborhoods can be found right outside one's front door.

In this economic climate, the question of whether to buy or rent remains more perplexing than ever. We talked to local real estate experts to find out what families should think about when deciding whether to continue to rent or take the plunge and invest in a place of their own.

In the months following the September 2008 liquidation of Lehman Brothers, a dramatic decline in sales prices of homes alarmed residents throughout New York City. However, with the market’s apparent stabilization this summer, renters have been pondering the quintessential New York question: Is now the time to buy?

When the subprime crisis hit the national real estate market, New York City was largely unaffected. But the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 ended that almost overnightthough the cause had more to do with the resulting uncertainty about the economy than the foreclosures that damaged so many other communities.

Its a new year, but some things never change: As always, New Yorkers are taking stock of the real estate market and wondering where its headed. Is 2010 the year to buy, sell, rent, or simply stay put?