Deadzone is right. You can read all the graphs and talk to as many experts as you like but your situation is the true “canary in the coal mine.” When educated young professionals with decent jobs can’t buy a modest home in a modest area, there’s nowhere to go but down. It’s not like you are looking for a premium area or a coastal area. When the white collar workers can’t live in the blue collar neighborhoods the writing is on the walls. I don’t know your wife-to-be but my wife in 1991 just had to have that new house with the white washed oak cabinets. In Jan 1992 we closed escrow. I was upside down until 1998 and could have bought my exact house on another street in 1995 or 1996 for just over half of what I paid. At an auction of a repo (I was outbid by 17k in trying to aquire my first rental, damn those sealed bid fha repos). But she had to have it and just like any young husband, happy wife/happy life I thought. I have lots of excuses (I was young, there was no internet, I was raised in the 80’s and houses always went up in value as far back as I could remember). I even paid a retired couple to sit in line for three days so I could get the one I wanted when the phase was released. You aren’t going to get a big house in Carlsbad for 300k but you will get one in Mira Mesa for that. Rent Karate Kid at blockbuster and listen to Mr. Myagi, “patience grasshopper.”