Yes, there are plenty of skeptics today when it comes to talk of a housing recovery, and granted, they have a lot of evidence to fuel their doubts. US housing prices have continued to slide this year, falling to levels that are one-third lower than the peak in July 2006 and wiping out gains for nearly the past decade, according to a survey of 20 major metro areas.

This persistent and frightening trend has encouraged many would-be home buyers to postpone their purchases until the real estate market stabilizes. It has driven the percentage of home owners down to 66.4%, compared with a peak of 69.2% in 2004, a big drop for that industry. And it has led many housing analysts to urge