1.     THE SAME - 2009 is the 19th year in the last 50 years (i.e., 1960-2009) when the same political party (either the Democrats or the Republicans) controlled the House, the Senate and the White House.  In the previous 18 years when Washington's political control was concentrated to a single party, the S&P 500 gained an average of +11.3% per year (total return).  The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that is generally considered representative of the US stock market (source: BTN Research).     
 
2.     HOW LONG? - Following the end of our nation's 8 month recession in November 2001, the Federal Reserve first raised interest rates on 6/30/04 or more than 2 ½ years later (source: NBER). 
 
3.     SMALLER BANKS - Commercial real estate loans make up 32% of the lending originated by regional banks, compared to just 10% of the loans made by large national banks (source: Keefe Bruyette & Woods). 
 
4.     SNOWBIRDS - An existing home owner has until 4/30/10 to sign a binding sales contract to purchase a new primary residence that qualifies for a tax credit that is worth 10% of the cost of the home up to $6,500 (note that homes costing more than $800,000 are not eligible for the credit).  The tax credit is phased out at adjusted gross income levels of $225,000 and up for a married couple.  Please consult a qualified tax advisor or real estate professional for additional details (source: National Association of Home Builders).