The Housing Bubble Blog

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CBS 13 reports from California. "The wrecking ball has claimed another major builder, John Laing Homes. With nearly a dozen housing developments in the Sacramento area, realtors were surprised to learn how soon the well-respected developer was falling apart. Realtor Mani Del Rosario says...

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The Helena Independent Record reports from Montana. "New home construction has plunged in Lewis and Clark County, according to figures compiled by the Montana Building Industry Association. In the city of Helena and the closely surrounding area, the average sale price fell 3.7 percent in 2008, to...

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The News Press reports from Florida. "Duane Clairmore's divorce, along with his sagging home value, has put him in a bind. The value of the two-bedroom, two-bath house in south Fort Myers is teetering close to what he owes on it. With real estate fees and closing costs, Clairmore may end up losing...

Please visit the HBB Forum. Post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The LA Times reports from California. "The Southern California real estate crash has finally reached the high-end areas of the Westside. Home prices in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu -- which continued to soar well into 2008 -- finally tanked at the end of the year, losing between 26% and...

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The Argus Leader reports from South Dakota. "Homes sales in metropolitan Sioux Falls dropped almost 12 percent in 2008, and the median sales price was down more than 4 percent. 2007 was the fifth-best year for home sales in Sioux Falls, said Barton Hacker, CEO of the Realtors Association of the...

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The Denver Channel reports from Colorado. "While Colorado property owners know their home values are falling, they may be surprised to learn that their taxes haven't changed. The tax bills that are coming out now are based on evaluations done in June 2006. That was before the housing market...

A new readers requested some advice from you at the HBB. "Hi Ben, I recently came to know your blog and have become a big fan. I bought my condo in Walnut Creek CA in Apr 2005 by stretching myself. So the situation is that this year I will see an income loss which will be bad for both of us and our...

Please visit the HBB Forum. Post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Every morning Joyce Reedstrom, 82, struggles to the stair lift that carries her from her second-floor bedroom downstairs for the day. At night, helped by her husband, Kermit, 86, she reverses the trip. Last summer, it looked like the couple had a...

Please visit the HBB Forum. Post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

I'll have this post up daily to provide ongoing info on the Vegas meet-up. From the organizers: "It’s official! The first International HBB Meeting will be held in Las Vegas Friday, February 20th through Sunday, February 22nd! The meeting will officially start at 3pm Friday (check-in) and end at...

The San Fernando Valley Sun. reports from California. "Marta Sanchez and her husband bought their Panorama City house inApril of 2006, their hearts beaming with hope and high expectations. 'We could finally say, 'this is ours' and stop throwing our money away in rent,' Sanchez says, recalling the...

Please visit the HBB Forum. Post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The Naples News reports from Florida. "In Marco Island, existing single-family home sales rose 27 percent to 415, up from 328 a year ago, according to the Florida Association of Realtors. In Fort Myers-Cape Coral, they grew 43 percent to 8,217, up from 5,753 in 2007. Last month, Fort Myers-Cape...