Where Positive Spin Meets Negative Reality - Rodney Johnson / HSDent

Is it just me, or does it seem that every time a piece of data comes out, no matter what it is, there is huge media hype to make it appear like a positive?  This morning we are greeted with the news that China’s economy grew at its slowest pace since Q2 2009.  Now, a growth rate of 8.9% in the 4th quarter of 2011 is not exactly falling into a death spiral, but it is a marked slowdown for the hottest economy on the planet.  When this news was announced did the markets go into freefall?  Did the markets take a turn lower?  No!  In fact, the Chinese stock market shot up by over 3% and other markets, especially those that supply China like Australia, moved up dramatically.  The reason?  Why, intervention must be near, of course!

Know The Housing Market's Temmperature - Howard Voyles / HousingMatrix.com

Want to know where housing will head in 2012?

First, be aware that all real estate is local and these factors are mostly national, but they can give you an indication of trends and the overall direction of housing.

Having said that ff you want to know how housing will fair in 2012, here are five signals to watch carefully:

Let Me Run FNMA - Rodney Johnson / HSDent

Michael Williams announced that he is leaving FNMA.  The CEO has been at the firm since 1991 and was promoted to run the place in April 2009.  It would be fair to say that he has a great working knowledge of Fannie Mae.  He also recieved a pay package of $900k per year and $6 million in deferred/bonus pay.  He will leave his post as soon a the board finds a successor.

Join the conversation with economist Rodney Johnson, president of HS Dent and host Howard Voyles, CEO of HousingMatrix.com. Understand the Forces Shaping the Economy & the Housing Market – Make Informed Decisions. The most informative 20 minutes you will spend this week. Click here to listen