LOW, LOW interest rates and low listing inventory have combined to make a strong market.  Our office has averaged selling almost 3 homes a day since the first of February!  That's fabulous for February!  If you are planning on buying this year, don't wait any longer.  Oil prices are on the way up, which will cause gasoline to go up, utilities costs to rise, food prices to increase... basically that's called INFLATION.  To curb inflation the Feds will raise interest rates to slow the economy.  We've seen this in the '70s and '80s.

How do you prepare for this? 

Buy a house now.  Plant a big garden. Buy a wood or coal stove.  Learn to hunt and fish (see... it's not all, bad.).   Don't make me say, "I told you so".