What metrics do you use to determine market conditions?

[Nathan Shankles]

I’m 32 years old with 2 investment properties and I’m looking at buying my next. My stepdad said “be careful, we might be headed for a downturn soon.” So I started researching the real estate market cycle. That research brought me to this question: what metrics do you like to use to determine the health of the real estate market now and in the near future? Where do you get your data?