Lao Tzu, a sixth century B.C. philosopher, is quoted as having said, “Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.” Or said much less eloquently, and applied to the real estate market:

The problem is that no one can predict the precise peaks and valleys of real-estate cycles any more than meteorologists can predict the exact path or intensity of a hurricane. And while most experts agree with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that the housing market will inevitably “simmer down,” and that “home-price increases will slow, and prices could even decrease,” nobody really knows when or where this will happen.

· Timing the Market For a Condo Purchase [RealEstateJournal]