Numbers without sources have no value in an internet forum but from what I'm taking from your argument (please correct me if I'm wrong), is that: "TARP worked

Numbers without sources have no value in an internet forum but from what I'm taking from your argument (please correct me if I'm wrong), is that: "TARP worked because, housing prices have increased across the board and as a result, the whole country is richer and everyone is better off" You're definitely right about prices have definitely gone up[1] (side note: Case-Shiller Index isn't close to 64% nationally), but all of this is all on paper. Residential home sales are still at '08/'09 levels; it's hard to translate those paper gains into liquidity [2]. I also agree with the low mortgage rates comment, however, all of the QE money is going everywhere but the housing market. Even if you have a stellar credit rating, it will be incredibly difficult to get a loan. Hell, even Ben Bernanke couldn't refinance his mortgage, which is both ironic and absolutely insane when you think about it [3]. Six years post-TARP, the housing market and American economy, still have plenty of structural issues. TARP was a monumental decision that will forever affect every part of America and housing prices cannot be the only metric or lens that we judge TARP's performance on. [1]Case Shiller Housing Index - http://us.spindices.com/additional-reports/all-returns/index.dot?parentIdentifier=6db38316-fd4f-4b21-9db9-61289d88fc9c&sourceIdentifier=index-family-specialization&additionalFilterCondition= http://us.spindices.com/additional-reports/all-returns/index... [2]https://www.flickr.com/photos/126862837@N04/15451411994/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/126862837@N04/15451411994/ [3]http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-02/you-know-it-s-a-tough-market-when-ben-bernanke-can-t-refinance.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-02/you-know-it-s-a-tou...