Is this a good time to get started?

[Aaron Bush]

Hey guys, my name is Aaron Bush, and I'm from Des Moines, Iowa. I'm embarrassed to say I know very very little about real estate, but I'm trying to learn more, and I know bigger pockets is a great way to do that. I've been listening to the podcasts when I can, but I figured I would get involved on these forums, as I know there are a lot of people here who can help to show me the ropes. All that said, my first question is this: 

In your honest opinion, is this a good time to be jumping into the real estate business? I have talked to a lot of people about my interest in this, and it has been met with some skepticism. Obviously that is to be expected to an extent, but I have a lot of people warn me that I might be getting into this at the high point, which for any investment is a terrible idea. I'm only 20 years old, so I could wait a little longer and make my financial position a little stronger first. Would it be wise to wait a little longer before trying to get started just in case we are on the precipice of a major decline (like 07-09)? If not, why are you optimistic about the short term future of the real estate market?