From the August 2008 edition of Harper’s.

1. Chance that a US home is currently vacant: 1 in 35
2. Rank of this among the highest recorded vacancy rates in US history:1
3. Percentage change between 1989 and 2007 in the median price of a single-family home:+130
4. Percentage change in the median down payment: +3.7
5. Percentage of homeowners who reported last year that they bought a car using a home equity loan:27

Sources for this info:

1-2, US Census Bureau

3-4, National Association of Realtors

5, Synergistics Research Corporation, Atlanta