If you're waiting for signs of a housing bottom, join the club. Nobody blows a whistle and say, "It's time to buy!"

That's why market timing is an art, not a science, but you can improve your odds of buying wisely.

First, stop paying attention to the national media. Fear has sidelined buyers even in good markets, and that's exactly when you need to take advantage -- before other buyers wise up.

Second, be ready to pounce when you see the home you want.

The time is right to buy when you see these signs in your marketplace:

• Inventories start to decline. That means that the best buys are leaving the market, and best doesn't necessarily mean cheap. It means the homes with the highest likelihood of profitable resale. Desirable homes will leave the market first.

• Days on market reduce. Days on market refers to the period when a Realtor enters a home in the MLS for marketing to other brokers, until the home sells. When DOMs are shorter, that signals a coming seller's market. A seller's market has more buyers than homes, so prices go up and selection goes down.

• Mortgage applications increase. Interest rates recently turned back the clock, causing many homeowners to jump in and refinance. Purchase applications were also up. Either way, that means homes are about to leave the market, so less inventory means firmer prices. Sellers will stop dropping their prices.

• Sold homes go for closer to listing price. In 2007, home prices dipped for the first time in four decades. With a 1.9 percent decline, homes still sold within 97 percent of listing price. When they get to 98 percent, you'd better be ready.

• Prices remain firm or rise. Prices are a product of demand. To attract buyers, sellers reduce their prices and offer more incentives. If homes are selling reasonably well, prices won't move downward -- they'll go up.

• Incentives disappear. When a market begins to favor sellers, they don't have to do as much to sell homes. Watch new homes and see if builders are still giving away swimming pools and granite kitchens. If they aren't, times have changed.

Any change in condition will change others, so again -- be ready. Now's the time to buy a better house while prices are low, interest rates are low and inventory is still high.

Published: January 22, 2008

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.