How did the 2008 crash change REI?

[Brendan M.]

I'm pretty new to REI, and I've been reading a few books lately, but a lot were written before 2008. Not too say they have bad info because I think a lot of the principles hold true today and are excellent advice, but there is certainly a naivety in some of them that is only apparent in retrospect, especially the ones who talk down the RE bubble doomsayers of the time (I'm looking at you, Larry B. Loftis!). Is there anything we learned from the housing collapse that we didn't already know? Is the way we estimate appreciation or the value of a deal any different than it used to be? Any context, wisdom, or anecdotes are welcome.