No-one could deny that the residential market is undergoing a volatile period, but do not be deluded into believing everything is gloom and doom.

Recent headlines suggested that a 1% fall in property prices was a catastrophe, when it was clearly no more than a minor correction, after several years of high double-digit price growth.

Mortgages are harder to come by, first-time buyers are having to offer larger deposits, and the wider buy-to-let market has stalled.

However, the tabloid media's love of hyperbole is in danger of obscuring the most fundamental truth about the housing market.

The last people to lose money over the long-term in Britain's property market, were the Romans, as they fled the tribal hordes.

Quality always sells, be it a desirable cottage in the Cotswolds, a well-equipped apartment in Birmingham's Symphony Court or King Edward's Wharf, or a gleaming new flat high up in the Rotunda.

Cash-strapped investors may now be reluctant to enter the buy-to-let market, but if you have the resources to acquire a property in an established and secure location, sizeable discounts are available.

Timing is critical.

If you view houses or apartments as long-term investments, buying now makes far more sense than waiting for a market upturn, when heavy demand and a flood of available money will drive prices upwards once again.

If the city centre market doesn't appeal, then note the rising demand in Birmingham's suburbs, and around the region's other major urban conurbations.

A new generation of 30-somethings is quitting its singleton apartments in the city centres, and searching for family homes.

The current market slowdown has also created major opportunities in the residential rental market, especially for properties aimed at first-time buyers.

But always take time to do your research, and seek professional advice.

Do not be misled by TV programmes suggesting that innocents can make a quick killing on rundown properties, or believe that an area which is trendy guarantees good returns.

There are, for example, solid residential opportunities around St Paul's Square and on the southern edges of the Jewellery Quarter.

Equally, there are properties on the northern fringes of the same district which have languished un-let since the boom times.

People want to buy homes where they feel safe, where they want to open their front doors, and go outside.

A 42-inch plasma screen, oak floors and the most powerful shower outside the USA will never make up for an environment in which people feel unsettled.

Even if you find a place with cachet, with quality and at a price you can afford, you still need to sit down and think carefully.

My grandmother's favourite mantra -'Measure twice, and cut once' - still has relevance today, especially in the residential market when you are most likely signing a loan which will take 20 years or longer to repay.