Buyers need to be convinced "that they're not going to buy into a downtrend," said Delores Conway, who directs a real-estate economics forecast at the University of Southern California. Consumers have unprecedented access to online information thanks to sites such as Zillow.com and TheHousingBubbleBlog.com. "There is more transparency, especially about prices. It should make the downturn happen faster," said Ben Jones, the blog's creator. But a bull market in housing appears a long way off.
