Why Lower Home Prices Are The Only True Solution To The Housing Collapse
Even many economists—who should know better—describe the present situation as an oversupply of unsold homes. True, there is about 10 months’ supply of existing homes, as opposed to four months a few years ago. But the real problem is insufficient demand. There aren’t more homes than there are Americans who want homes; that would be a true surplus. There’s so much supply because many prospective customers can’t buy at today’s prices.
By definition, the “housing bubble” meant that home prices got too high. Easy credit, lax lending standards and panic buying raised them to foolish levels. Weak borrowers got loans. People with good credit borrowed too much. Speculators joined the circus.
Economy Continues to Slow, Recession Unlikely for 2008
The fallout from the housing slump and the so-called “credit crunch” will prove less severe than many fear, said Wells Fargo’s senior economists during the company’s annual economic forecast teleconference earlier this week.
“Healthy export growth and continued business spending will help the economy steer clear of an outright recession, but I believe that won’t be significant enough to prevent an economic slowdown in 2008,” said Dr. Scott Anderson, senior economist for Wells Fargo & Company. “Rapidly cooling earnings growth and rising economic uncertainty will make U.S. companies reluctant to undertake ambitious expansion plans in 2008.”