The housing crisis hammered the Valley, and thousands of people lost their homes. Foreclosures dominated some neighborhoods, while short sales became a too common part of the vernacular. Now with the real estate market bouncing back, most of us are focused again on how prices compare with a year ago, or when they will return to pre-recession levels, but what about looking for ways to avoid the next housing crisis or at least limiting the damage?
Mark Stapp is director of the Master of Real Estate Development program at Arizona State University's WP Carey School of Business. He wrote a column that appeared in Sunday's edition of The Arizona Republic.