I'm aware of speculation.

I'm lucky because I own my own house and I bought it after the first bubble (an expensive but somehow more reasonable price). I have been saving but refused to buy several small and not very good houses for ridiculus prices, so when the bubble popped I had the money and position to get a morgage.

In my country there is a new bubble now. My guess is that it would take a year or maybe two to explode. Then it would be the opportunity for people to buy. Who knows, maybe I would buy another house.

But the problem is going to keep repeating as long as they allow to "invest" on a first need product. Of course people would pay almost anything to not sleep on the streets.

So as long as investment companies are allowed to buy a lock houses and let them empty to force the prices up, they would do it. Having many empty houses should be panilized. If you rent them is OK, but if they remain empty for months, there is something wrong. Also, companies should be required to pay all the house expenses on time not wait until they are sued for not paying.

Anyway, house market is going to remain a problem for some time.