Rics Scotland director Sarah Speirs said while it was encouraging that the housing market appeared to be moving away from the highly negative figures witnessed in previous years, activity was still much lower than the pre-crisis norm.
Budget-redirecting in Washington has become the norm since Iraq and Afghanistan and pre-election year politics have already raised cries for frugality from political circles.
"Turnover and profits are all increasing but nowhere near the rate seen pre-recession and businesses are beginning to realise that this environment may be the norm for some time, " said Grant Thornton chief executive Scott Barnes.
The big banks will breathe a sigh of relief that 10% is expected to emerge as the new norm for their core capital ratio - partly because they have taken pre-emptive action and already meet that target.
There are old speaking tubes from pre-electricity days and sleeping porches, which were once used in warmer months before air conditioning was the norm.