BluegrassForeclosure.com

This shouldn’t be any surprise to anyone, but with the housing market plummeting like it did in July, it clearly shows we are far from being out of the recession.  In fact, I would argue that a double dip recession is not only likely, but possibly inevitable at this point.  Although, several economist seem to think that the housing market is not enough to cause another recession.  Time will tell.

From the Wall Street Journal online:  “U.S. home sales plummeted in July to a level not seen in more than a decade, spurring fears of renewed weakness in housing prices and the broader economy.

Sales of previously owned homes fell 27.2% from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, the lowest level since the industry group started its tally in 1999.

. . . .

The data sent stocks tumbling, briefly pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average below 10,000 for the first time since early July. The index closed at 10040.45, down 133.96 points, with investors rushing into safer assets as they reassessed the economic outlook.

. . . .

Price declines could be shaped largely by how banks manage the volumes of more than five million loans that are either seriously delinquent or in foreclosure. If more of those loans are modified, or if the homes sell through short sales, that could spare the housing market from bigger price declines.

One troubling sign for the market is that banks appear to be listing more homes for sale, just as demand has dropped. The number of bank-owned listings increased 12% in August from the previous month. The figures, tracked by Zelman & Associates, include listings for the top 10 U.S. banks in 20 states and from mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Price declines could lead to more delinquencies and foreclosures, and additional subsequent price drops. “You end up in a home-price-depreciation death spiral,” said Laurie Goodman, a senior managing director at mortgage-bond trader Amherst Securities Group LP in New York. “It’s not clear there’s enough demand to handle this overhang without another round of price declines.”