Small, individual real-estate investors are less enthusiastic about the U.S. housing market and their concerns are the same as they are for home buyers. A couple of factors cited by this survey include the rising cost of flipping homes. As cost of material and labor continue to rise the profit margins available to small scale investors continues to decline. Without the ability to realize profits, the house flipping game dies. Second, investors are unclear as to what the pending foreclosure markets will bring. Supposed housing market experts remain split on what next year's foreclosure situation will look like. Many experts think that because of higher levels of equity that there won't be many foreclosures entering the housing market. However, the current levels of equity are built around the incredibly inflated housing prices. A previously discussed study shows that much of Florida may be overpriced by as much 30%. If true, there is a possibility that much of the equity currently in the marketplace may not last long. One should also consider that major investors like Opendoor, Zillow, and Realty Trac are buying up houses, and in some instances overpaying intentionally to drive up the costs of future comps. One thing is clear, the housing market has been like the wild west for many decades now with the last reconning coming during the Great Recession. Because many of the polices implemented as a result of the Great Recession didn't really address the truly bad players, i.e., investment banks and investment funds, there remains a good chance that things will go south again in housing. But this time, I look for investment funds to flood the markets and buy the best inventory should priced decreased next year.