The air is coming out of the balloons.

There seems to be some air coming out of some of these balloons.

Housing activity has peaked. There are no balloons popping.

We are really on track for a soft landing. There are no balloons popping.

Home sales are coming down from the mountain peak, but they will level out at a high plateau -- a plateau that is higher than previous peaks in the housing cycle. This transition to a more normal and balanced market is a good thing.

It's like making figures out of balloons. You can fill a balloon with air and shape it to be a pretzel, a donut or a hot dog. Each will have a different moment of inertia and a different center of gravity. By changing the shape of the balloon, you change the physical properties of the balloon.