Today, buying a home may feel a lot like buying stocks: You'd prefer to wait until the market finally bottoms out.

The only problem is getting the timing right.

First-time homebuyers squeezed out of the market by the 2004-06 housing-price surge may want to consider taking the plunge now.

Prices are down and still falling, interest rates are low and stable, and a huge inventory of houses and condominiums is for sale -- a mix that should spark more sales by year's end, Realtors say.