MANmom, 1995 was a different time. I remember well. At that time you had to rely on the Realtor to drive you to houses from print-outs with no pictures. Today you can just review the MLS listings yourself (for example on ziprealty).

I think it’s going to be a slow ride down (6 to 7 years). In the mean time, review all the listings in a neighborhoods that you like. You can set it to receive an email when new listings pop up — there aren’t too many.

Over time, you’ll get a good idea of the homes that come on and off the market. You’ll also get very familiar with the neighborhoods where you wish to live. When the time is right, you’ll know it. If you’ve got a nice comfortable place to live right now, you can watch the market slowly evolve. Take the emotion out of buying and you’ll know it when you have a great buy. Patience is key.