If 1/6th to 1/3rd of housing goes empty and we see 20%+ unemployment that'll knock overall consumption right on its behind. Could be the combination of much trouble in other market segments are distracting the finance people and the strategic people are saying "Wait and see"???

SCT - whilst I do expect house prices to fall by 35 to 50% in the UK, I very much doubt many of these will stand empty. A huge segment of the UK population has been excluded from the property market for years - mainly public service workers - and they I imagine will be queueing up to buy once prices fall far enough.