Unfortunately I don't think anyone has a crystal ball on this. In the last housing crash, for example, while properties did devalue in some areas of the country

Unfortunately I don't think anyone has a crystal ball on this. In the last housing crash, for example, while properties did devalue in some areas of the country, in my city they simply stayed flat for several years. So selling and attempting to buy cheap would not have been a winning move. My advice on buying property is to do it either because you want a home, or you want a rental property for supplemental income. Trying to time or out-smart the housing market is like playing roulette, you might win, but it's more chance than skill.