The Housing Bubble Blog

A report from National Real Estate Investor. "Last year was a record year for commercial and multifamily mortgage originations at $530 billion. 'We’re anticipating that 2018 will be down just a little bit from 2017, but we are still expecting a strong year,' says Jamie Woodwell, vice president in...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "The Federal Reserve is watching asset prices closely, but sees no sign of a housing bubble, said Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, on Thursday. 'We don't think there is a new housing bubble the way there was in 2006,' Kashkari said in a talk...

A report from Builder Online. "We heard repeatedly over the two-and-a-half days of the just-concluded Housing Leadership Summit that although times are good now, and demand is solid for whatever builders can deliver to an inventory-starved market, clouds of uncertainty have begun roiling up on the...

A report from the Financial Post in Canada. "The president of Toronto’s real estate board warned leaders of the Ontario Real Estate Association, headed by a former Progressive Conservative leader, to 'stay in their lane' in an emphatic letter that relays his concerns that the provincial group is...

A report from Q Fox 13 in Washington. "Even though the average price of a house is about $800,000 in King County, real estate brokers say spring and summer may offer a window of opportunity for homebuyers. 'There’s a little bit of a dip, but if we’re at a 10 now, it’ll be an 8.5 or a 9 during the...

A report from the Colorado Real Estate Journal. "In advance of the Emerging Trends in Capital Markets conference, I posed some questions on capital markets for Pete Schippits, senior managing director and market leader for the Colorado Region of CBRE. Q: How do the capital markets in Denver stack...

A report from WCPO Cincinnati. "How hot is the housing market this year? So hot that this is the best time since the peak of the 2006 housing bubble to sell a home, with buyers offering more than asking price in many areas, even in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. New mom Corey Curran says...

A report from Toronto City News in Canada. "A Leslieville home that can’t even be entered due to its dangerously derelict condition is on the market for $699,000, and at least one realtor thinks the dilapidated digs could be a steal. The boarded-up eyesore at 28 Woodfield Rd. has been vacant for...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "22-year-old Sarah Villamore and her husband have given up on finding what she and her husband can afford in the Williston market. It just doesn’t exist yet. 'It’s difficult if you are a millenial trying to buy a home,' Villamore said. 'You don’t...

A report from Multi-Housing News. "In 10 of the nation's 50 largest markets, apartment supply in 2018 is expected to increase 40 percent or more from 2017 levels, according to a RealPage report. The largest supply increase predicted for 2018 is in Sacramento. Last year, 682 apartment units were...

A report from Bloomberg. "Freddie Mac has quietly started extending credit to nonbanks that issue mortgages, a move it says will help the companies maintain access to a crucial stockpile of cash if their home loans go sour. But critics say the financing could create an unfair market advantage that...

A report from The Windsor Star in Canada. "The good news about Calgary’s resale housing market is, if you’re in a buying mode, there are a lot of homes from which to choose and very little competition from other buyers. The Calgary Real Estate Board’s (CREB) report for April shows sales for all...

A report from MarketWatch. "House prices are soaring and, despite warnings from some analysts, most Americans believe they will continue to soar. A majority of U.S. adults (64%) continue to believe home prices in their local area will increase over the next year, a survey by Gallup concluded....

A report from the Post and Courier in South Carolina. "The Lowcountry kept pace in recording substantial apartment growth but the rapid expansion could result in a higher share of units empty next year, Marcus & Millichap predicts. 'Another year of elevated apartment deliveries' — when the...

A report from Macleans in Canada. "When Toronto-area home prices began their slide, the market served up painful lessons for buyers and sellers alike — and revealed shady behaviour that helped inflate prices in the first place. John, who asked that his name not be used for reasons that will become...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Richmond's real estate market is on fire. Multiple offers in some areas are common along with personal letters, all-cash offers, inspection waivers and escalation clauses, allowing buyers to offer more if they are outbid. Kellie Bonner and Barbara...

A report from KSNV in Nevada. "Take a drive to California, and you can't help but notice the empty, desert land along I-15. It is a land that soon could be filled with hundreds of new homes. Developers are buying up the vacant lots to build new condominiums, apartments and townhomes on the south...

A report from the Financial Post in Canada. "If there is one thing that annoys a certain group of people in my Twitter bubble about Stephen Poloz, it’s the Bank of Canada governor’s perceived complacency in the face of what these people see as imminent economic disaster. The reason for their...

A report from the Real Deal. "It’s a question other lenders are asking more and more as they find themselves being beat by either Fannie or Freddie. The reason the two loan agencies are outperforming institutional lenders is thanks to government insurance that allows them to charge lower rates than...

A report from Newsday on New York. "The waterfront Hamptons estate known as Villa Maria boasts 11 bedrooms, Carrara-marbled baths, arched windows overlooking formal gardens, a heated pool, tennis court, guesthouse — and a $51 million discount off its original price. The 15-acre former convent in...