Amen to Sean in West Roxbury!  I am not a first time buyer (point of fact I am actually a Realtor), but I am also getting tired of all the negative generalizations.  Yes the market is going down, yes the economy is going down, yes employees are losing jobs, but that doesn't mean that people still don't have lives to live whether that means buying or selling a home or just getting up and going to your job every day.  I am not saying we should ignore reality but any buyer, seller, OR renter should look for what’s best for their situation at that time.  For some people that may mean buying a home (yes, even in this market), for some that may mean renting (yes, even in up markets).  I certainly always recommend FTHB explore both options and decide what's best for them individually in the specific markets they are looking (since many towns are still seeing different market conditions).  Quite frankly, for some clients I have even recommended renting an apartment to live in, but also buying an investment property at the same time, because it made more sense given their circumstances.  I also can't stand the "housing is dead" type of talk.  Well, let's do the math for a second.  In the house or apartment where you live, somebody has to own it.  And it’s been my experience, that most of the time the person who owns the property is in a stronger financial position than the renter.  Not all the time, but most.  And now that prices in many areas are down, there are more opportunities to buy income property that actually produce a positive cash flow.  Call me a shill if you want, but at least recognize that there are some positive options for people out there still whether you are talking about the housing market, the job market, or if you are just trying to figure out what to eat for lunch!