The prediction we’ve all been waiting for: When will the housing slump end?

Give Steven Preston credit: He’s not afraid to go out on a limb.

Preston is secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In a recent story in the Christian Science Monitor, Preston predicted that any improvements in the U.S. housing market are a year away.

That doesn’t sound like great news, but at least an end might be in sight. Unless, of course, you live in parts of California, Florida, Arizona or Nevada. Preston says that the housing recovery in parts of those states — which saw housing gains during the boom times that were not sustainable –  is even farther away.

So if you’re tired of reading headlines about the struggling housing market, my advice is simple: Stay away from the newspapers for the next year or so.