Vanilla Ice -- I Got Some HOT Real Estate Tips ...

Buy low ... SELL HIGH ... at least that's the real estate advice Vanilla Ice is handing out on the streets of New York -- telling TMZ, now's a better time than ever to purchase a new home.

'Nilla -- who currently hosts the reality show "The Vanilla Ice Project" on the DIY Network about renovating and flipping houses -- was out in NYC yesterday, where he told us, "The housing market right now is better than ever."

The rapper -- real name Rob Van Winkle -- said, "If you can buy a house cheaper than you can build it, it's great. Look at the stock market. It's all going up ... No better time to get in than right now."