So I think with what todays investors learned from the past will force them to analyze markets much more and continue to hedge their largest bets on real estate as opposed to stock.

The higher class neighborhoods will start to see a substantial drop and more foreclosures start to hit the market.By the summer we will see commercial real estate drop in a huge way.In my opinion the severity of the commercial & jumbo loan market collapse, how it is percieved and handled will be the single largest factor in determing how soon we see the "intrisic values".Either way we look at it I think we are all in agreement that times are going to get far worse before any lasting forward progress is made.This is the best damn site!

Nc Mark,I have a friend that does data analysis for the prison system here in California.Recidivism rate is 80-90 % depending on who you ask.70k per inmate PLUS medical costs, (this information is a few years old) in a system where hepatitis.AIDS and TB are rampant.90 some percent of people in prison in California at least, are there for drug related crimes with the attendant drain on court systems, social services etc. tTe cost is staggering and has absolutely no effect on the use of drugs.The largest cash crop in California is green and smells like skunks but it is completely untaxed.

For a buy and hold investor, areas around large, stable military bases is almost a license to print money.

"To be frank, since the TARP money came in, they are still selling off (properties at auction), but they kind of took a step back." . . .Real Estate Disposition LLC (REDC), which claims to be the nation's largest real estate auction company, held 300 ballroom auctions in 2008 and sold nearly 33,000 foreclosed homes for $3.4 billion -- a seven-fold increase in sales volume and nearly triple the proceeds the company generated in 2007.Company CEO Jeffrey Frieden said he expects to "smash that record" this year as banks and lenders continue to amass a huge inventory of foreclosed homes and are more motivated than ever to sell their inventory. . . .Some observers fear that if the massive amount of debt the government is taking on to stimulate a recovery, inflation -- and higher interest rates -- are inevitable consequences.

But what a pain it is to get that stuff started as opposed to doing time-wasting recreation.

They're turning the federal government into the largest mutual fund in existence, funded with taxpayer dollars, underwritten by the federal reserve and given the legislative power to take over or shut down the competition.

The largest, most accurate database of comps is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

The Phoenix area has this potential too (5th largest city in America afterall), but I wouldn't plan on living off your cashflow in 3-5 years... especially if we encounter a recession.

The last FSBO I toured it was obvious this man hadn't done a CMA, was thinking the fixes in the home were going to be cheaper than they actually were and felt he could charge $60K more because the lot was the largest lot in the neighborhood.