Помоему здесь не обсуждались количественные данные из "The Economist". Любознательные бублеведы могут ознакомиться c цифрами.
http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4079027
Study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that 23% of all American houses bought in 2004 were for investment, not owner-occupation. Another 13% were bought as second homes.
According to the NAR, 42% of all first-time buyers and 25% of all buyers made no down-payment on their home purchase last year. Indeed, homebuyers can get 105% loans to cover buying costs.
In California, over 60% of all new mortgages this year are interest-only or negative-amortisation, up from 8% in 2002.This year, ARMs have risen to 50% of all mortgages in those states with the biggest price rises.
British home prices started to fall in the summer of 2004 after the Bank of England raised rates by a modest one and a quarter percentage points. Since 2002, the Reserve Bank of Australia has raised rates by exactly the same amount and unemployment is at a 30-year low, yet home prices have fallen. British first-timers now account for only 29% of buyers, down from 50% in 1999.
Оно вроде и ни что-либо как, а приведись такое дело так вот тебе и пожалуйста.