The residential real estate industry has been surprisingly resilient in light of the current economic situation. Over the previous two years residential real estate purchases registered into the double digits,
             while these numbers are down, the market for real estate is anything but out. At a glance, it would appear that realtors do not even know that a recession exists as
             new properties are springing up from Northern Virginia to California, even Hong Kong is getting in on the action. So what does the future hold for the residential
             real estate market in the United States and across the globe? This paper will present an in depth analysis of the real estate industry by discussing current trends of the real estate industry while analyzing the strengths,
             weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Additionally, this paper will also discuss the national and global outlook of the real estate industry as well as potential problems that the real estate industry may encounter in the future.
             Strengths Real estate has been the best friend of the weary investor when the stock markets are down. Investors use the residential real estate market to generate income through rent and thru property appreciation. Additionally, real
             estate is also favored for its tax advantages; such advantages are not present in other types of investments. For example, a recent survey by Salomon Smith Barney revealed that the Standard and Poor's pretax return was -3.4 percent however residential real estate property posted returns of a little over 5 percent. In Florida, residential real estate has posted a whopping 22 percent
             return increase in the last year, while the stock markets have yet to post a consistent recovery. Such returns are not exclusive to Florida, as a study by Windmere, the largest residential real estate company in the Northwest finds. According to the study, despite the terrorist attacks of last year, first quarter home sales in th...