Given yesterday to the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors:

Barry Merchant has annually provided some of the best, most realistic market insight to the state, regional and Charlottesville area real estate markets.

Barry Merchant’s presentation to CAAR – 10-26-2011If first time homebuyers are going to be critical to the housing market’s return … how can one reasonably think that the next generation of indebted college graduates are going to be able to contribute to the return?

(thanks to the American blog for the chart)

.Download the Powerpoint presentation here

For Context:

Goodbye, 0-5 Buyer -OR- Finance a House or an Education?

– Barry Merchant’s presentation from March 26, 2009

– Barry Merchant’s presentation from November 11, 2010

– Conversation about some of the sociological benefits of a recession

– Rise in Sticker Price at Public Colleges Outpaces That at Private Colleges for 5th Year in a Row

Update 28 October 2011:

The NYTimes reports: Economy Alters How Americans Are Moving

Essentially, millions of Americans have become frozen in place, researchers say, unable to sell their homes and unsure they would find jobs elsewhere anyway.