Another off-topic comment. Ominous article, discussing "strange" and troubling downard trends in retail sales and employment despite a growing economy:

The Real Problem with Job Growth

I think it's obvious now how this ties into housing, though I'm not sure why it isn't obvious to BusinessWeek.

But what I find more interesting is an apparent bifurcation of the economy into a declining consumer economy and a still healthy corporate economy.

Is this some new fundamental division emerging, or is this maybe how recessions begin?