japan is a great parallel – our consumer patterns, industrial growth etc. our residential market today is to what they view US commercial real estate in the late 80’s a sharply inflated commodity.
we will have pockets of sharp decline and an overall flattening. depending on media coverage AND government regulation – the areas that just go flat will either slowly grow or slowly decline.
the consumer (masses) is (are) in charge here. who will fight for their minds and $$? media? politicians? or people who have seen it all along?