There is a difference between propping up prices in excess of the consumptive value of housing, and saving the RE market. I think the latter will eventually and naturally take place as the market adjusts to the true value of housing, separate and distinct from medium term (20 years?) demographic/credit/government influences.
The irony is that when/if RE prices are inflated that primarily enriches realtors/banks/brokers. Look at the macro picture in Canada. Residential RE is worth $1.3T. Annual price increases above inflation at 5% per year for the past decade? So last year that was income of some $60b. Now look at who earned money off that.
$3b Realtors (4% on 200k resale properties at $350k),
$2b Mortgage Brokers (guess)
$10b Banks (1/3 of $30b annual profits?)
$3b Non-bank mortgages (guess)
$2b Govt LTTs (guess)
$5b Income Taxes on investment properties (guess)
$5b Developers (guess)
$?..others...
$30B+
It seems that perhaps 50% of the gain in the annual price appreciation gets carved off from the owners. I don't deny that there will always be income from the RE sector to the above group. Simply that a lot of the paper gains by owners have flowed to realized gains by the RE service industry.