The Housing Bubble Blog

Examining the home price boom and its effect on owners, lenders, regulators, realtors and the economy as a whole.

The Arc Of The Universe And People’s Intelligence

Readers suggested a topic on GSE proposals. "Principle write-downs at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: 1) Are they a go? 2) Who wins and who loses if they are? My recollection is vague, but it seems the Treasury Department summarily slapped federal guarantees onto all of the GSE debt after they...
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A Long Way To Go Until The Music Stops

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "A Roncesvalles realtor has the dubious distinction of having the cheapest detached property for sale in Toronto right now — a dilapidated garage that comes with 16 by 12 feet of land. Laugh if you will that it’s an eyesore and listed for $99,999....
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This False Sense Of Security

Seacoast Online reports on New Hampshire. "Lauren Kane, president of the Seacoast Board of Realtors, said intangibles like hope and optimism are evident among customers. 'I think the message overall is turning more confident,' said Kane, a Realtor with ReMax Coast to Coast in Portsmouth. 'On a...
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The Last Point Of Sanity

WMBF reports from South Carolina. "Realtors in the Grand Strand say foreclosures in the housing market are beginning to taper off, and now is the time for potential home buyers to look at properties. There are still some foreclosures in the housing market, keeping some home prices lower than their...
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The Dependence On House Prices

I suggested a topic on the latest housing hype. "Found in the US media in the past week: ‘buy now while you can’, ‘prices are still way below where they ought to be’, ‘new homes’ prices are bound to go up, too’, ‘we’re paying money toward something we own instead of throwing it away on renting’,...
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The Feast Is Coming To An End

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Baoding has reported rapid increases in new-home prices, from about 3,000 yuan (Dh1,750) per square metre in 2007 to 6,000 yuan in 2010. With 1,800 luxury apartments in a prime downtown location, Guo Zhai Hua Yuan is just one of countless schemes...
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