Since the onset of the recession in 2008, millions of Americans have had to adjust to lower personal incomes, family members losing jobs, decreased asset valuations and shrinking investment portfolios. Simultaneously, commercial real estate values have plummeted by as much as 40 percent from their 2007 benchmark highs. With such financial difficulties, many people have simply tried to hang on until better days. We think those better days may be coming in 2011 given recent encouraging signs of economic improvement: