The Tri-Counties version of The Great Recession began in San Luis Obispo County late in 2006 when house prices started to falter.

After three grueling years, what likely will amount to the worst of times for those of us too young to remember the 1930s, likely will end just about now as SLO County sheds the last of the estimiated 3,400-plus jobs is has lost and begins to show some signs of stabilizing home prices.

That was the view of Chris Thornberg from Beacon Economics, who earned his pay these past few years by warning of the housing bubble and overheated credit markets. Thornberg has ably taken over from Bill Watkins in presenting the national, state and regional view at UCSB Economic Forecast Project, and he made his successful debut Nov. 6 at the San Luis Obispo County forecast event, which kicks off the season for prognostication up and down the Highway 101 corridor.

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