The nature of real estate is that it will always change, but there is a continuous upward trend in prices. Even those that purchased during the bubble in 2005 and 2006 have seen their home's value increase in the past few years. In the graph below (S&P/Case Shiller) you can see that over the past 26 years there have been ups and downs but the overall trend is up. That would indicate that buying with longevity in mind is the key to successful real estate purchases. As long as you could stay in your home for 10 years than you could weather almost any storm.
