The start of 2012 has been encouraging. The market is about to reach pre-crisis levels, the unemployment rate has dropped a bit, (not nearly enough yet), and overall consumer sentiment has risen which can help increase spending. So what’s the problem? Home values are still in the toilet.
Home prices are the lowest they have been since the crisis began. The S&P Case-Schiller Index, which is a key gauge of home prices, fell 1.1% from November to December.  Low home values prevent people from being able to refinance.  Refinancing a mortgage is a great way to save hundreds of dollars a month.…