I wonder what would happen if we stopped allowing people to get off the hook from the promissary notes they sign along with the deed of trust. There really is no reason the government couldn't make it impossible to get out of the debt. They could make it so that it is not due immediately, but must be paid back at little or no interest over a period of years. No release with bankruptcy. It may be a bad idea to keep people locked into debt they will never be able to pay back, but at the same time there is no reason to release it if they can. As it is, very few banks try to get deficiency judgements because most people will respond by filing bankruptcy. I guarantee that if it were to take place, along with a program to lower interest rates for a set period of years (and maybe even principle) for people in trouble, we would see a huge reduction in foreclosures and defaults as people try harder to hold onto their houses. Lower foreclosure rates means less inventory, which may result in prices stablizing. With lower interest rates in place, there may even be less turnover as people stay put. If this were to happen, the market would correct itself. It wouldn't be an immediate correction, but could really help over time.