Even After The Bailouts and Failures, Housing Is Still A Mess

While the recent bankruptcies and potential failures have generated concern for both Wall Street and Main Street, and the federal bailouts have offered some hope (as well as concern), the root cause of the problem - housing - is still a mess (see Reuters article). As mentioned by Wilbur Ross, the current federal plans do not really address the housing problem. In fact, while blame is being assigning to banks and the federal government, the blame should also be shared by the American consumer who for years has been living above their means. As mentioned by Ross: "In one sense, the American consumer is the victim; but on the other hand, the perpetrator of it." So the worry is that while the current bailouts may help to stabilize the market, the underlying housing problem will still keep the economy from growing anytime soon, with some analysts expecting the problem to carry into 2009 and possibly beyond, as excess housing inventory continues to be drained from the system.