[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hey now! I'm a FTHB looking for a place to live in too, but I just don't think the conditions warrant it yet. The situation is looking up (actually I spent part of yesterday doing some exploratory looking at a few neighborhoods in Orange County myself just to get a feel), but we're still a long way from what I'd call "the right time to pull the trigger". I still don't even want to contact realtors or brokers - we'd just be wasting each others time for now. I'm doing just fine renting financially (laughing all the way to the bank) but to be honest, I want to get the hell out of this area in the next year or two, possibly out of CA entirely, but that remains to be seen and is partially beyond my control (wife has a say in this).

The day is coming, but for now there are still way better places to put one's money. And even if one doesn't care about the investment implications (you should), I think it'd be prudent to hang tight for a few months to see what the overall economy is going to do. At least until the beginning of next year (after the holiday season). I think if we get through this holiday season with the economy still more-or-less in one piece, the worst will be over and things will begin a gradual, long period of flatness in most markets. Housing will still drop a bit but things (overall) will start to brighten up a little.

Just one guy's opinion.