Macro Economic Policies Affecting Housing Prices

[Josh Platko]

First post on BiggerPockets!  Very new in the real estate investing world, trying to consume as much knowledge as possible before taking the plunge.  

On to the topic.  I often hear investors talking about validating the trend of the neighborhood in which you are investing.  They are saying "Dont invest until you have done your RESEARCH."  This often leaves me confused, how can I research?  Is the best way to watch the market for a few months, and see how fast houses are being sold?  Monitoring prices to see if they are trending up or down?  What do you guys do when trying to predict your neighborhood trend?  Any macro economic metrics?  Discuss direction with other investors?

Let me know!