Has "Bubble" Lost it's Meaning?

Maybe people have become so numb to the term "bubble" that its meaning has been entirely lost.

In a survey released by Experian-Gallup, seven out of 10 consumers said they expect a housing bubble to burst in the U.S. in the next year. But as you read further, 65 percent of the same surveyed consumers said that a collapse of a housing bubble within their own area is not likely.

Topping that off, another snippet of the same survey shows that only 11 percent expect housing prices to decline in the next year, while 60 percent expect an increase in prices. After reading through this survey, one starts to wonder what exactly is being defined as a bubble and bubble burst.

The headlines are somewhat confusing and I think that contributes to today's unstable market. Consumer confidence is high and most reports show that consumers expect the housing market to improve. Sales in the Bradenton - Sarasota area are down 45 percent. Buyers are confused and some are paralyzed. Other Buyers are recognizing that there are a lot of GOOD DEALS out there as Sellers respond by lowering their prices.