How do you find out appreciation rates?

[Hornaldo Jurk]

Where or how do I find out if an area is appreciating or depreciating?? (I want to know for how long it will appreciate for, and when it will crash.) I know no one can tell for sure, but is there a way to estimate it? I heard there's a pattern to it but how does it go? Will the whole united state appreciate together and drop at the same time? Or is it city by city?
And if it is city by city, will some cities appreciate for 2 years and then drop, while others appreciate for 10 years and then drop?
I don't want to waste time on a property that will crash real soon. Or even worse, wholesale it to a rehabber and have him lose money when the price drops way below market after he fixes it up and tries to market it for 120 days.