It all depends on who you listen to, but it's okay as estate agent says he's busy.

There's much debate as to when all this credit-crunch-gloom-time will end. To the man on the street they seem to think it will bounce back towards the end of the year.

Alastair Darling, according to yesterdays budget was going along the lines of: 3.5% shrinkage in 2009 followed by a incredibly optimistic 1.25% increase in 2010. To which the media heavyweights of Mssrs Robinson, Peston and Flanders said.... "no way" (well I'm paraphrasing).

Today the IMF sort of rewades in after wading in a few weeks ago. They say something along the lines of a 4.5% shrink in 2009, a further 0.4% shrink in 2010 and no recovery until 2011 and that's only a slither of growth.

Thing is this is so unchartered territory that no one really has a clue. I hear answers of "two or three months" to three years. When it's all said and done as long as house are selling that's what everyone seems to base everything on.