The cognitive dissonance here is astounding. If you pulled money out of your house to “increase home value” you took advantage of the market so the market was good, now the market is bad because well, the pool of greater fools to sell to is shrinking and values are going down.

We’re proud to live in a country that gives you the freedom to do what you want with your assets and money; with that freedom comes the responsibility of knowing and researching what you are doing. When one invests in the stock market and takes a 50% hit, one doesn’t go to the government to be made whole. If you’re treating your house as an investment, as many foolishly still do, you need to do your research instead of listening to salesmen.