We are an optimistic bunch

It seems only fitting to close out this morning's troika of housing stories with a graphic depiction of the poll that was referenced earlier. From CBS News comes this report of the nearly undaunted optimism about the future of the nation's housing market.

Most Americans expect their local housing market to remain the same or improve over the next year, a newly-released CBS News poll finds. The results point to widespread consensus that the worst days of the housing crisis have passed.
A mere fifteen percent, meanwhile, say their local market will get worse over the next year. That's an 11 point drop from the 26 percent that expected their local market to worsen in December of 2008.

When you think about it, it's probably better this way - as a nation, we might be a complete basket case if homeowners were able to look objectively at the troubles currently being faced by the market for, what was at one time at least, their most important financial asset.