U.S. housing market keeps sinking deeper. We're talking four straight years of decline now, with home sales hovering at levels we haven't seen in three decades. What's driving this? A nasty combination: property prices staying stubbornly high while mortgage rates refuse to drop. The math just doesn't work for most buyers anymore. This kind of real estate contraction could signal broader economic stress, something worth watching if you're thinking about crypto as an alternative asset class or hedging tool in uncertain macro conditions.