KNOW THE NUMBERS:  insurance, taxes, utilities, maintenance vary widely, so get estimates before you buy.  (2) pay attention to umemployment statistics.  High jobless rates can dampen housing price appreciation.  (3)  search CityData.com for financial and demographic information on various neighborhoods.  With INTEREST RATES AT AN ALL TIME LOW this is a good time to buy.  Yes, prices could DROP more, but very difficult to know the bottom.  A realestate rule of thumb holds that you should rent if the home price is greater than 15 times the annual cost to rent.  For a more precise answer, AARP’s interactive calculator at     aarp.org/rentorbuy      can compare the cost of buying and maintaining a homes with rental payments.  Get our your calculator so you can figure!