Shocking: a buyer's market is good for buyers!

WIth the way that Congress is taking "emergency" action to try to prop up the housing market, you'd think that tanking home values were all bad.

Surprise, they aren't. The USA Todaysums it up well: "... what's bad for sellers is good for buyers - at least those blessed with excellent credit and enough money for a sizable down payment. They can enjoy lots of homes to choose among, time to browse, and typically, the advantage in negotiations."

Translation: the housing bubble has as many winners as losers, given that for every house that's sold, another house is bought.

All of this raises a question: What exactly is the point of using taxpayer money to tip the scales in favor of one group of people in a zero-sum game. And then there's the moral hazard argument: people who have excellent credit and enough saved for a sizable down payment are being forced to pay higher prices because home prices are being artificially propped up.