Buy off the plan, or more to the point, strike up a conditional...

Buy off the plan, or more to the point, strike up a conditional purchase agreement with someone else who has bought off the plan, and who is due to settle in 18 months time.

Better still, buy at a mortgagee's sale.

Make certain that you get named as a beneficiary in a Will (just ask Stocko).

Better still, invent a time machine, and go back to the early 90s and buy.