There are a lot of potential buyers out there, sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the RIGHT TIME, the "perfect time", to buy.

But one person's perfect is another's missed opportunity.

If you want the most inventory to choose from because your requirements are very, very specific, your perfect time was fall of 2007 if you were buying in Culpeper. But if you were in Fauquier County you'd have waited too long by then. Inventory there peaked in May of 2007. Inventory has continued to decline since then.

If you wanted the lowest interest rates odds are this is your magic moment.

If you want the lowest prices and don't care as much about the inventory or the interest rates, anytime in the next year will probably work just fine.

But, if, like most people, you want it all, it's a little tougher to figure out.

I suspect your best combination of all three was probably mid year 2008. Inventory remained high enough that there was a great selection. Interest rates had gotten much lower, but even at the lower end of the market there wasn't yet a huge upsurge in buyers yet.

I believe a lot of buyers are waiting for the "right time" without defining what that means for them in their situation. The answer can be different for different families in different situations.

What's your perfect combination?