When do you foresee property values in Maryland to begin increasing?

Another good one. The more opinions that I hear about the future of the housing market, the more pessimistic I become. The best possible scenario that people throw out there is stagnant prices for the next few years, but ONLY if interest rates stay the same and credit doesn't tighten up at all. I interpret this as "if everything goes JUST right we can maintain the status quo, but the housing market is probably royally screwed".

Hi, Paul -- as it happens, Anirban Basu was answering a similar question as you were asking yours. Hope you saw the answer.

Kevin R, I'm glad you found the chat worthwhile (and finally got that question answered!). Thanks for joining in.

As a potential first time Home Buyer, and based off what you've said of how shaky the housing market currently is, and how things must go perfectly just to stay unchanged. Would you then recommend my wife and I to hold off on buying a property, in say the Pikesville area ?

Sorry, Geoff, the chat's over. But perhaps other readers would like to weigh in. Anyone?

Geoff, the basic reasons to buy are independent of ANY immediate term market factors. You need to live *somewhere* right? It should be safe, and convenient, and affordable. You should certainly be able to achieve that basic criteria in the Pikesville area.

But the condition issues of the specific property in question and the specific price and finance affordability aspect are far more important to your (micro) decision than what the (macro) economic theories of housing market dynamics will ever be.

Good luck.

There is much debate among politicians, economists, and citizens about what the government should do, if anything, about economic instability