The home equity cash machine has still been a big prop for the economy this year. That won’t last

Calculated Risk has gotten the latest numbers from Fed economist James Kennedy on net equity extraction (the spending money that Americans pulled out of mortgage refinancings and home equity loans) in the third quarter of this year. It was $133 billion, or 5.2% of disposable personal income. Which is way down from 2004-2006, but still [...]