Cramer: Map to a Housing Bottom

Stock quotes in this article: WM , WFC , FNM , FRE  

Of course, I am saying that with the FDIC's plan, WFC's changes, the FHA getting involved and the continued decline in the rate of builds and the tax credit, all of these positives are going to cause that foreclosure rate to decline slightly faster than otherwise.

Here's the bottom line. The market is factoring in three wrong things:
  1. that the problem will get worse forever, rather than recognizing the peak that has to occur;
  2. that nothing is being done about the demand side -- not so, because prices are coming down fast, mortgage money will get cheaper after FNM and FRE go away and there is a tax credit of size that matters; and
  3. that nothing is being done to keep people in their homes -- also really wrong, because of the FDIC's plan and the FHA money meant to stem these declines.

Right now, if you think housing is going down for the next year, you are making what I think is a sucker's bet. Six months? Yes. One year? No. We will have gone through too much of the bad lending.

Oh, and remember, I am predicting 100% defaults on all non-fixed-rate loans from 2005 to 2007. No one in America is using that negative a forecast. Do you ever hear anyone say 100% of those loans from that era are going to default?

I am.

And I still think housing will bottom at the beginning of the second half of 2009. Less than one year from now.

At the time of publication, Cramer had no positions in the stocks mentioned.

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Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for Action Alerts PLUS. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" weeknights on CNBC. To order Cramer's newest book -- "Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer)," click here. Click here to order "Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich," click here to order "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get "You Got Screwed!" and click here for Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict." While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he appreciates your feedback and invites you to send comments by clicking here.

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