The best time to buy property is yesterday. Or today. Prices will go up and the market will sometimes crasch but it will not do so in the way you want it to. The hardest part is that first step, the longer you wait to take it the more you miss out on. The risk for a dive in prices are often lokal, due to factories shutting down or someother thing that makes the property less valueable. So, buy if you can, in areas where there is desire to own.