<prompt> Human: I remember the housing bubble crashed and houses dropped 20 or more in 2008 and I know people could have avoided some of the risk. I want to buy within the next 3-5 years hopefully, and Im not looking for a huge investment, just a place to live and have some security that the place I buy wont backfire on me down the road. Is there anywhere I should be looking specifically?good school areas ect.. and anything I should look out for as far as loans go?probably using va home loan Im going to buy way under budget anyway but I just want more security than risk. Any and all information is helpful.  <response>: Since your question was what is different now then when the housing market crashed in 2008 I thought I would offer a few thoughts.1. Prices of course declined significantly in many areas in 08, 09, and 10. Prices have generally been rising since then, but overall prices remain below 08 levels in many parts of the country.2. Mortgage underwriting standards have gotten much tougher since 2008 and conventional wisdom is that people that bought homes over the past few years are marginally better positioned to handle an economic downturn while keeping current with their mortgage.3. There is some data suggesting that younger people are waiting longer to buy and are being more conservative with the amount they borrow to acquire homes, which is at least for now limiting some demand.Overall I think it is a decent time to buy a home assuming you plan to live in the area long term. Generally speaking I would focus on good safe areas with highly rated school districts that are close to major job centers. I would focus on purchasing a home I could comfortably afford with some flexibility in the event I lost my job and had to take a pay cut. 