Depends on the market conditions. Short can be lucrative as an investment flip situation and long term works well for well for most folks wanting a home. As for convection ovens - no opinion on that one!!!!

Yes, convection ovens are quite an achievement.

IDK, LOL was re-watching The Big Short last night and operating on a premise that something that never happened before could never happen (mass defaults) does not seem to be a slam dunk any more! 

Sell when you need to or it makes sense to
Buy when you need to and have enough skin in the game

Invest when it makes sense to

and that's PERIOD. 

whether short or long term, you make your money going in.

One size does not fit all ... many factors specific to each person must be weighed and measured.  

The best time to buy is always in the past.  Oxnard Shores, Silverstand Beach, Hollywood by the Sea, you couldn't give those away 20 years ago, even 10 ago.  Now they start at 2 million for the one where your backyard is the ocean.  Best time to sell is always now.  A "Prices up 20% this year, glad I didn't sell last year!" type of thing.

As I always tell people, if you plan to buy and hold and not sell for 10-20 years, or maybe pass it on to your kids in 40 years, market volatility is not a concern.  All my properties I plan to hold until I die.  I don't care at all what the market is doing there.

Now if they plan to hold the house for 3-5 years, then upgrade when they have another kid or two, or when they get relocated, or need a bigger tax write-off, then the market matters.

If you're planning to flip the home and have an exit within 4 months, then the market matters depending on your purchase price.

When prices are down, having said that I don't think you find a market that is down right now. With saying that best time by is now. When the market is hot! lol Long term will always perform well as long as you can hold onto it if or when the market drops. Short term does come with risks but can also come with great rewards all depends on the market. I think real estate is one of the best places to invest. We have had many homes, our own and investments and have always made money on them. All 3 properties we own now have over doubled in price since we bought them. We have owned them for 10, 6 and 3 years.

Candice A. Donofrio took the words out of my mouth.  Whenever you need to sell, sell.  When you can comfortably afford to buy, buy.

It is always a good time to buy real estate. Short term still has risks in my area but I do remember in the past you could buy a home in my area & net zero after a year of ownership.

Yes, I'm hearing rumbles about this now. It all depends on how long you keep it. Some people don't want to buy now. They would rather pay the mortgage of someone else who is buying now. I heard similar things during the recession. People didn't want to buy for fear the market hadn't hit bottom. 

Interest rates are low and it can pay off for people to buy now.

Richie,

Each situation is unique, and personally I am not fond of generalizations!  A

Best time to purchase is when you need to.

Best time to purchase for investment gain is when everyone else is out.

Best time to sell is after death, divorce, or financial disaster.

The savvy investor calls their own shots. Long term is safer but some short term moves can be lucrative. Are you willing to roll the dice?

Buy low, Sell high.

Sometimes we can achieve this quickly, sometimes it takes a while.

Read the Book - “Hold” by the McKissicks

The question is a lot more complicated than a simple short term vs long term investment.  There is risk with both scenarios. Long term goals need to be established and then work towards those goals.  Knowledge is key towards achieving those goals

Timing is always important for the best results with real estate purchases. Those high prices we experienced years ago have become bargains.

In Denver right now is the best time to buy, and waiting until February is a better time to sell.

Buy low, sell high hold as long as it takes to sell high. Long term short term all depends on the taxes you don't want to pay and the market conditions.

Death currently has little effect on values in this area. Monitor markets you're interested in. Deals pop up in all markets. Divorce, health, job loss, etc can all lead to a good time to buy.