In this episode of pplpod, we explore the sharp rise and catastrophic collapse of the 2000s United States housing bubble. We break down the complex causes behind the boom, including historically low interest rates, lax lending standards, and the "irrational exuberance" of speculative investors. Join us as we examine the timeline of the crisis, contrasting the early warnings of economists like Robert Shiller with the missed signals admitted by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Finally, we discuss the devastating fallout of the market correction, from the collapse of the subprime mortgage industry to the wave of foreclosures that helped trigger the Great Recession.