[Kylon]

The medical industry could collapse, if the government collapses.

Or perhaps the finance industry, as perpetual growth is revealed to be impossible in our current system, and so people begin to withdraw their resources from the financial markets.

Also marketing. As resources become more and more scarce, there will no longer be a need to create artificial needs. People won't have enough resources to focus on the unessentials, and they will have to focus on what's really important: Staying alive.

The auto industry will probably collapse, as fuel prices will drastically increase, making vehicles less hospitable to individuals, thus making it impractical to travel very far using an auto.

The airline industry has already collapsed significantly.

The tourist/recreation industries may be in for a big shock.

What's next do you think?

[I_Like_Plants]

There are small but I think significant anti-debt, pro-frugality movements in the US. Since mortgages are debt, and when US'ians buy or refinance a house they often give themselves a "treat" by buying a car, which is more debt, finance furniture, finance kitchen re-models etc., the collapse of real estate in the US has the possibility to turn US'ians against debt and overspending in general. This could really hit the lending (usury) industry hard, which will be a good thing.

[Plantagenet]

I don't expect any industry to "collapse" but a recession in the US is probably going to occur in a year or two. The current period of steady growth in the US is already longer then the typical expansion.

[I_Like_Plants]

Yeah financing companies will still be around, but the industry, in my opinion, is set to take one hell of a hit. Just as we've had the mother of all expansions, we're going to have the mother of all contractions, and a huge number of people are going to flat-out turn against buying anything on credit and buying anything they don't have to.

[lotrfan55345]

How do you buy a house without a mortage? Is that even possible for the middle class?

[Plantagenet]

People buy houses without mortgages all the time.

For years huge numbers of people have sold out their expensive houses in California, and moved to cheaper houses that they then cash out in Nevada, Oregon, Montana, etc.

[highlander]

I guess i don't know what the term "collapse" means.
a few lousy sub-prime lenders close their doors. Guess what, housing prices have not radically changed. The weather is warming up and guess what, builders are getting back to work building houses.
there is a difference in the end of refinincing existing mortgages to buy your super duper flat panel twelve foot tv, and a housing market collapse.

AS for an airline industry "collapse", check out thed news from Boeing, and check out the passenger numbers.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kylon', 'T')he housing industry collapsed, now what's next?

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 't')he collapse of real estate in the US has the possibility to turn US'ians against debt and overspending in general.

[basil_hayden]

Currently, it appears that energy is being monetized; therefore it will eventually bubble and pop.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lotrfan55345', 'H')ow do you buy a house without a mortage? Is that even possible for the middle class?