Just a quick question about investing in property. Is this a good or bad time to be an investor?

If not then when? If it is then, could someone please guide me in the right direction are give me any resources to go to find the first steps to take in becoming an investor. Any information will be very helpful thanks!

First you need to ask how much do you have to invest. What is your credit rating. Where do you want to buy. Will you be hands on. hands off. Are you handy. Are you good with people. Can you get a loan for any property you are considering. If you answers are in the positive scope of this query then you can probably move ahead.

real estate is flat or dropping in most markets.Wait awhile,read everything you can

Congrats This is the best time to sell your property cos its gone sky high--i dunno where ur from--but here in india the prices have risen High above heaven--and if u have got places--ur the next billionaire in line--if u need to buy--study the field well cos prices r high-seems Bill gates came to the southern part of india--chennai--where i m from and bangalore--the garden city of india--ever since hes left--IT business and MNC companies have started mushrooming and the real estates business has sky rocketed--use it wisely and reap the best

If you mean actually buying a building to invest in... there is hardly ever " a bad time"....
You would have to figure what you can afford based on what you have saved.... you want to hold some cash for improvements, repairs, etc. and you want to have a down payment of 15 or 20 percent. That gives you your price range. Now you work with a realtor to find a building in your price range. What you should be looking for is something with an income that will pay your mortgage, insurance, and taxes. ( That's right...you want to be in this at no " additional expenses" to yourself....and hopefully even monthly profit...got to get that down payment back!)
Start small , maybe a 3 to 5 unit building...nothing too aged.( no major repairs needed)...something you can maintain yourself in most cases.
When you are into the swing of things...make some improvements, even just cosmetic..keep things clean/nice... any thing goes vacant , doll it up and raise the rent.
In a short time your " investment" will have increased in value.
You are on your way.
That's a simple plan for real properties....if you want to invest in " real estate" another way ( some people say less troublesome)...open a brokerage account with someone like Fidelity and put your money into a few different REIT's...
these are professionally managed funds invested in real estate of various kinds....what you want is commercial/ income properties ( office bldgs, hotels, medical facilities,malls,etc)..." Homebuilders" are the sector in trouble lately....NOT all real estate! Try finance/ yahoo...or moneycentral at msn or
http://beginnersinvest.about.com/
Read about REIT's.... check the past performance of some.... 23% to 27% is not unheard of...and yes, it's easier than landscaping at your own building! Also they pay dividends quarterly ( or even monthly)..money going directly into your core account on a regular basis...nice. Hopefully the " share price" rises also, making your initial investment more valuable, too. ( Just like rising prices increase the value of " your" building.( example 1)
Two different routes...up to you now.

Depends upon if you bought when it was low.

Right now the R.E. market is dropping and many people are finding themselves in trouble due to buying when it was high and now they owe more than what their property is worth.

Never NEVER buy when things are high unless you get a foreclosure or gov. auction deal that is fabulous. If you are wanting to invest in property, please hold off till it bottoms out... it may take a while but the bubble has burst and it is on its way down. Sit back and laugh at all the morons who bought high thinking their stuff was worth oOOOoooh so much more !!!

: )