Housing boom?

 
Bernanke said "I recently tried to refinance my mortgage and I was unsuccessful in doing so." the audience laughed, Bernanke responded: "I'm not making that up."

Banks and regulators tightened lending standards and they might have swung too far, especially for first-time home buyers, and that is "probably excessive."

Records show that Bernanke bought a house in Washington, D.C. for $839,000 in 2004, valued at $965,468.

He was paid $200,000 as chairman of the Federal Reserve, is now commanding as much as $250,000 per speech. He is also a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.   He had assets worth between $1.1 million and $2.3 million when he left the Fed chairman post, making him one of the least wealthy members of the Fed's Board.

So expect loosening of the rules and another bounce in housing.

Just a thought.