Locally, I believe it has quite a bit to do with the opposite. Specifically, the Federal Reserve propping up the economy artificially by controlling interest rates and hopefully inflation as a result of low interest rates. They have simply gone to that well too often. The entire "free" economy is upside down and no longer on its own, due to their tinkering.
Also, the increase of middle men, like credit reporting agencies by the thousands. They have no interest in whether the economy goes well or not. They get paid to get people "credit", regardless of whether the people actually can pay back what the people can borrow with their "excellent credit."
Another bite is taken by the builders who plant these prefab, poorly built cookie cutter houses, which have begun to sprawl all over suburbia for enormous prices. This trend is old enough now that many owners have tried to sell these semi-worthless houses and found that, after a true assessment of their value, they already owe more than the house is worth. Add in the tendency to re-finance and combine huge credit card debts with their house payments and they never can develop any real equity in the properties.
Again, this is a local problem, but it may be wider spread than I know, since I am a gentile to the faith of money.