Mixed News in Real Estate brings mixed feelings

From Market Watch , Oct. 2008. and National Assoc. of Realtors;
"Home sales jump to 13 month high" This is undoublty good news, and also serves as a warning to get off the fence and buy now. Or does it? In reading on, the same report tells us that credit tighting in Sept. and Oct. will adversly affect buyers. The other negative is the overall median sale price, dropped 9% and, up to 18% in the west, to a level not seen since 2004. Good news, 35-40% of these sales were distress sales, foreclosure's or short sales, that is good news because, in order to hit an honest bottom to the market, we need to get rid of the foreclosures, which force all prices down. It seemed we were just starting to see the bottom and level out, when the stock market sends us all running to bury the money in the yard and hold onto it as tight as we can.
Financial guru's were mostly on the same page, stating we are at or near the bottom of the market, when the latest bad news from Wall Street hits. Who knows, we are in unclear, unmarked territory, a combination of so many factors, leads to educated guessing and caution.
At some point, you must break our of fear and take action, or do you sit and wait for a very clear sign? Once that happens, everyone jumps at the same time, it won't be a buyers market then!
Ah, what to do, what to do? I know what it feels like to be land rich and cash poor, but then again, I can drive by that land and....it is still there, that feels good, no ambiguity , just GOOD! well mostly good...