Buy it when you & your family need it and you can afford it. Price should not be the major factor. If the price is low and your children are already in university, you don't need it obviously.
During the 10 years in the 90s, from 90 to 99, price always stayed in the 140K nominal range, barely up a 6000 after 10 years. that is not enough to cover the agent fee of 5%, ie. you still lose money after 10 year if you sell it, The price in 96 is also lower than 90 after 7 years.
Then again, from 1998 to 2007, price almost double. It really has a cycle. how well do you depends on when you buy.
will 2009 be the year like 1990 or like the year of 1998? time will tell.