CNBC.com - The Battered Businesses Behind Housing

November 9, 2009

The Battered Businesses Behind Housing

Published: Monday, 9 Nov 2009

By: Diana Olick

CNBC Real Estate Reporter

It's not surprising, but I thought you might like to get a look at a really interesting chart compiled by Sageworks, Inc, which does financial analysis of privately-held companies.

It shows rankings of the worst-performing sectors this year and last, based on the extent of revenue declines in each period.

Eight out of 10 are real estate-related.

While we all worry so much about the auto industry, I find it astounding that we don't pay all that much attention to the battered industries behind the battered housing market.

It seems as if government is focused mainly on all the troubled borrowers, with not much attention paid to the businesses behind housing.