Experts: Housing, energy key to economic outlook

The U.S. economy is sure to slow next year, but most experts say it probably won’t slip into recession – though some think it could be a close call.

Housing and energy prices will probably prove decisive.

Most mainstream economists are projecting that the economy will grow at an annual rate of 2 percent to 3 percent in 2007. It averaged 3.8 percent annual growth from 2003 to 2005 and slowed in 2006 to a 2 percent annual rate in the third quarter.