Sometimes the "rules" change.....

IMHO this may be one of the best analysis pieces regarding residential real estate. Yeah I know it's not cars, but it is about the biggest "investment" you're likely to make in your life.

If you're a doom and gloomer this won't be for you..........nor is it for the stary eyed. Since most of the membership here are "boomers" or just slightly younger there might be info here that will help you in planning how you'll prioritize, or re-prioritize, future decisions. Taking real estate growth patterns for granted could be a costly mistake in some areas.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122764977315457619.html

It's a tough call... It is the perfect time to buy the place you want to keep...but investment strategy is a crapshoot(maybe russian roulette)..Everyone thinks the stock market will come back too but I'm not so sure about that..Then you can sit on the cash but it might lose value too with the drunken sailor spending going on in congress..At least real estate is "real"... Even our old cars have dropped in value..The only thing I have seen increase in value is guns..Pretty scary stuff..

Seems to follow most of the practical predictions on a home's value, about 3.5% a year..... the boom and bust retail economics of the last few years were fun to watch, but I sure am glad I wasn't a participant.......

Real estate types around here were whining because housing prices didn't go crazy on the upswing of recent years, hope they're smart enough to realize that that was the good news!!!!! Small town rural area economics being what they are, bought this house 10 years ago for $50K, probably be able to sell it for $60K now....Probably could have got more a couple years back, but the replacement cost would have been much higher then it would be now..... Real estate is another one of them things I just don't even pretend to understand, my house is 1800 sq. ft. with a 3 car garage... Would take over $100K to build one around here with the same square footage... Don't see where I would be ahead to sell mine and spend double what I get for it!!!! It's an old (1924) house with all the good updates and suits me fine... would also make 2 apartments and become rental property very easily..... hmmmm.