If the banks can get stabilized soon and start lending more money, that would help a lot. Also, the real estate market has to turn around. Here in S. calif. prices are still going down, 50% plus from the peak. Sales are starting to pick up. The big problem hanging over real estate is the home equity loans (home ATM machines) that were so popular here recently. Some homeowners had skimmed over $800,000 out of their homes before losing it.
