Louis and Ryan discuss the impact
of the earthquake and tsunami on the world economy; inflation, interest rates, the Fed and Bank
of Japan action and the U.S. budget negotiations; the profile
of home purchasers today; the paradox
of government intervention to make «homes affordable for everyone»; the direction
of the rental market, rent vs. buy ratios; the comparison
of Fed action during the Volker years vs the Bernanke era; Charlie Sheen, oil prices; the direction
of the
dollar and other currencies race to the bottom; the status
of the
dollar as the world's reserve currency; the abandonment
of the gold standard; the fate
of fiat currencies; Utah's gold standard push; the actions states are taking to cut spending; the price
of gold and
silver and their role as stores
of value; real estate vs. gold and
silver as investments; the impact
of shadow inventory on general inventory; the impact
of the numbers
of government workers and their salaries on the D.C.
area housing market.