Is it possible that after so long hearing about subprime disaster, bursting real estate bubbles, and mortgage meltdown that we just become numb to what’s really going on?  I think it is.  By that, I mean it’s just really easy to get caught up in the now and not even begin to see possibilities and sensible solutions unfold right before our eyes.

I’ve just read an incredibly thought provoking blog post over at Real Estate Journal.  The post, “Google Basewide? One Step Away in California” proposes that something really huge might be happening as we speak – it’s possible that Google might be entering the troubled real estate market in a huge way.

Now I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist or anything, but seriously think about this possibility from the post:

Question: If Jason McCarthy, who is the Development Manager of Real Estate for Google (Google Base), were to make a Redfin-type deal with Countrywide in California, what would be the impact?

Scenario: Google Base is attempting to deliver relevant real estate content to the consumer in a format most potential buyers are familiar with and aiming to be the prominent provider of property information aggregation; a new MLS system, if you will, with inventory provided by the agents and owners themselves at no charge.

Heck, such a big player could just buy up the inventory from Countrywide, stockpile it, sort it, and retail it as the time is right.  Yeah, that’s far fetched, but it’s a possibility.  After all, as the Real Estate Journal’s post recalls:

In the 1990's, the government established a quasi-public institution (Resolution Trust Corporation) to inventory, rehab and sell those REO properties taken back as a result of the Savings and Loan bailout.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is anything is possible.  Crazier things have happened before and if we just dismiss the boldest most outlandish solutions altogether, we’re resolving not give level best effort to fix problems.