If the U.S. economy is to hit escape velocity in 2017, you can expect the real estate sector to serve as its rocket fuel.
At its most broadly defined, housing can be counted on to compose 15% of GDP. It hasn't done that much heavy lifting lately, however. That's because in the wake of the real estate bubble, lending standards have remained tight, while the cautious builders who survived the crisis have been reluctant to dive headfirst into expanding their operations again.
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