Federal reserve expert headlines discussion on economic and monetary issues

The Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the Wisconsin School of Business will host a conference called “Navigating the Credit Crunch: What’s Ahead for Wisconsin?” on Friday, June 4, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Fluno Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

David Altig, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will be the featured keynote speaker and will share his unique insights on the day’s most pressing economic and monetary issues.

Entering a new decade, Wisconsin finds itself winding through an increasingly complex financial landscape. Add an uncertain job market, housing fluctuations, and the first gubernatorial race without an incumbent running since 1982, and the state is left with a complex puzzle — 5.6 million people looking for direction and ideas on how best to move forward.

How has Wisconsin fared in the country’s nascent economic recovery? This year’s conference will examine the state’s financial, credit and housing markets, as well as the opportunities that may come with the midterm elections in November.

Perspectives on these issues will be shared from a wide range of experts from every sector of real estate and housing markets. These experts are playing keys roles in the effort to turn the economy around and will provide insight on potential strategies to stabilize real estate and housing markets.

The morning session will review the overall state of the U.S. economy and how politics and political reform will affect the housing and real estate industries. The afternoon session will focus on the state of the credit markets, including the availability of credit, regulatory reform, affordability issues and policy responses.

Panelists will discuss not only the state of the national economy, but also how Wisconsin is affected by the credit crunch, including challenges and opportunities in housing and finance created by the rapidly changing economic and political landscape.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Graaskamp Center for Real Estate, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Wisconsin Realtors Association and Wisconsin Bankers Association.

For more information about the 2010 Wisconsin Real Estate and Economic Outlook Conference “Navigating the Credit Crunch: What’s Ahead for Wisconsin?,” visit the event’s website.  The cost to attend the conference is $110.