2008 Housing Outlook

Although home prices nationwide are down 4.2 percent from a year ago, some economists are predicting "the worst is yet to come."

Just how bad will it get? According to Fiserv Lending Solutions, the median home price nationwide is expected to tumble 5.7 percent this year, which would make it the worst year for real estate in at least 40 years.

The problem stems from that classic economic conundrum: too much supply and too little demand. As of September, some 4 million existing homes were languishing on the market – almost double the number three years ago – in addition to 523,000 new homes.

If you were hoping to sell a home anytime soon, it’s a pretty grim picture.  Prices aren’t expected to rebound until 2009 at the earliest, and most experts think it will take several years for home values to get back to pre-bust levels.

If you’re looking to buy a home, now could be the best time we’ve seen in decades, and quite possibly the best time we will see for a very long time to come.