Stock Swapping

I don’t know much about the economy, but there is a practice whereby one individual, in a certain geographical location, can swap a home for one in another spot. It involves terms being agreed upon by all parties concerned, e.g., equal swap, the home plus extra cash (either direction), the house plus a car, etc. The prospective seller enters the swap criteria (price and location) and is matched with the possible buyers; the details will be hashed out at a later date.
Now, since history shows this Wall Street problem is going to correct itself and the losses are only on paper, for those who are in for the long haul, I want to turn my attentions to those who can not wait due to retirement, college tuition, and medical expenses. Couldn’t Washington come up with a sort of “Stock Bay” for those who need it now? The same basic "home swap" principles would apply. I was just wondering.

Zanne Booker 10-09-08

Note: Americans are never at a loss for ingenuity.