Yesterday, the Washington Post recapped its effort last year to divine the economic prospects for the area in 2005 by polling a panel of 16 in-the-know Washingtonians working in business, economics, and real estate. It seems their experts did all right, generally predicting good economic times, which we generally had. The Post is having another go at it this year, having added ten seers to their list. From what the Post says, it looks like the powers that be see another strong year ahead in 2006, if slightly less strong than 2005.

There are some negative opinions in the group. The Post’s own Steven Pearlstein foresees negative movement for area economic indicators across the board, earning him a playful elbow from the article’s author, Neil Irwin. Southeastern University President Charlene Drew Jarvis claims the mantle of raving doomsayer, suggesting area home prices will fall this year by over 20%. Most of the contributors see federal spending growth and a strong local tech sector continuing to drive the region, though when asked what surprises might affect the Washington economy, they acknowledge the threat of the unknown unknowns. Potential bombshells listed include an economic chill prompted by lobbying reform and a sharp reduction in future defense spending, though local CEO Dendy Young said he expected a terrorist attack, resulting in his immediate extraordinary rendition.