Several readers have emailed me over the past few weeks asking my opinion on the current state of the real estate market after my post on mark-to-market accounting practices.
The gist of these questions went something like this:
Is now the time to buy a house?
Have we hit a bottom in the real estate market?
Good questions!
My answer to all was a resounding:
I don’t know!
I’m not the all-knowing swami, and making sweeping projections that could cost a reader a six figure faux pas (if I’m wrong) really isn’t the purpose of this blog.
However, one of the few analysts who made the correct call in 2007 to get out of the market — or more correctly, to get out of the financial sector altogether — continued her bearish predictions about the banking sector in a late day CNBC interview.
However, her most bearish statements related to the housing market where she feels housing prices will continue to sink lower.
According to (superstar?) bank analyst Meredith Whitney:
Housing prices could fall as much as 30% from current prices!
[See CNBC video below. Housing comments ~ 4:45 min]
The best advice I can give is to anyone attempting to time the real estate market is this:
But remember, trying to pick the absolute bottom is really a suckers game!
@ Kyle
That’s good news considering all the bad press lately. I read somewhere that the housing dip has “only” hit a few selected areas around the US more than 10%. Areas like south Florida, Phoenix, etc. were the big losers.
Then again, I would imagine there are people in Kansas or North Dakota still asking…
There was a Real Estate Bubble?
[Reply]
7:57 am
Interesting article.
[Reply]