yes, dip your toe, buy 1/2 and see if it goes down in the summer buy more !

Housing has not bottomed! Wait until unemployment bottoms first. There are additional resets coming that should push more families into the fray. In spite of Fed trying to make rates lower, many who need relief are not getting it from the banks (see recent drop in refi's). Historically the bottom won't happen until late third/early fourth quarter.

The rates of unemployment and housing starts are declining but are persistently negative- like slowing the fall. Expect big increases in unemployment around the bankruptcy filing of Chrysler and coming GM. Look at the impact of the closing of ~2000 dealerships (combined) and the ripples that will cause. Impact of that won't be felt for several months.

Banks are using various aides to offset coming losses in credit cards, consumer loans, commercial real estate(watch the gov. statistics on bankruptcy filings). The usual spate of filings that happen early in q2 are just getting ready to run their course.

Sorry to be so gloomy, but better avenues exist in BRIC investment, and in commodities.

The age old adage of leverage hasn't changed- "it limits flexibility" . What took ten years to make will not take ten months to undo- probably a bit longer.