It sure is refreshing to see a week of good economic news!  It may be a little early to bust out the sunglasses and my CD of Timbuk3’s one hit wonder "the Future’s so Bright I Gotta Wear Shades,” but I’m thinking about it!

Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards  dsnews.com  Capital Economics expects the housing crisis to end this year, according to a report released Tuesday. One of the reasons: loosening credit. Banks are also loosening loan-to-value ratios (LTV), which Capital Economics denotes "the clearest sign yet of an improvement in mortgage credit conditions."

CRE Price Index Rises for Seventh Consecutive Month  costar.com  The CoStar National Composite Index of commercial real estate pricing rose for the seventh straight month since last spring as investment-grade sales made solid pricing gains in November 2011, and the level of distressed sale transactions continued to decline during the month.

Rise in Home Sales Signifies Strengthening Market: Economists  dsnews.com - The long-awaited housing recovery is beginning to blossom, according to industry experts taking a look at recent existing-home sales. While admitting home sales are still very low, Paul Dales, chief economist at Capital...

Is Industrial Property's Turn Next? Manufacturing Momentum Shifting to the U.S.  costar.com  First Investors Clamored for Hotels, Then CBD Office and Next Apartments. This Year, Trends Such as 'Homesourcing' Could Boost CRE Space Demand for Industrial Property.  After decades of watching American companies move jobs overseas, manufacturing is beginning to make a comeback of sorts here in the U.S. -- and sooner than some expected.

Vistage CEO Study Shows Surge in Economic Optimism  vistage.com  The results for the Vistage Q4 2011 CEO Confidence Index, a survey in which Vistage CEOs and other executives weigh in about the current business climate, showed a marked increase in economic optimism amongst small business CEOs. Executives were overwhelmingly positive on hiring and foresee increased profitability for 2012.