The Housing Bubble Blog

The Sacramento Bee reports from California. "It's the question faced by thousands making peak 2005 loan payments on a home with 2008 values: Should I stay or should I go? In Antelope, Randy Fatius has had it. He says he's walking away from the 1,200-square-foot house he bought in October 2005....

I'll forward this thread through the 4th of July. Here are some predictions from the end of 2007. "rob: i predict that 2008 is when the housing bubble outside the US starts to deflate. This includes Canada, Mexico, UK, Spain, and others. The rest of the world is still in 'it's different here'...

Please post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The Missoulian reports from Montana. "Larry Melia and his wife are getting ready to auction off a house in the Bitterroot they have been restoring for the past six years. This is the first time the Melias, who renovated and sold ranches in Denver before moving to Montana, have participated in a...

The McLean Connection reports from Virginia. "By all accounts, Ali and Shanaz Alavi bought their new home in Great Falls for a bargain basement price. The couple purchased the five-bedroom home sitting on five acres of gated woodland for $1.1 million. The property owner, Jennifer Lynne Ridley, had...

Please post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The Press Democrat. "State law enforcement officials are investigating whether 70 investors, most from Sonoma County, were swindled when they put up $6.4 million for construction loans on Malibu land that may be undevelopable. Many of the same investors also contend they lost $3.5 million on four...

Some housing bubble news from Wall Street and Washington. The Guardian, "After Taylor Wimpey's shock warning today that it will take months to secure a rescue package from investors and that it could breach its banking covenants next February, analysts say there is 'a very real danger' that...

A report from Crains New York. "Manhattan's residential real estate market frenzy is fizzling. The number of apartment sales fell during the second quarter from the year-ago period, according to reports released Wednesday by four major brokerages. Two of the firms also reported a sharp increase in...

Please post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The North County Times reports from California. "There is no way to put a good spin on foreclosures, said Temecula City Councilwoman Maryann Edwards on Monday, but at least the city can keep track of abandoned homes. The Temecula City Council last week adopted an ordinance that aims to diminish the...

Some housing bubble news from Wall Street and Washington. Bloomberg, "Bank of America Corp. will buy Countrywide Financial Corp., the home lender battered by the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, for about $2.5 billion, 37 percent less than originally planned. Bank of America is discarding...

Please post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

The Monterey County Herald reports from California. "The state Department of Real Estate has accused a local broker and his former partner of fraud in connection with Fresno's controversial and long-delayed Running Horse Golf and Country Club. Tom O'Meara of Carmel and Scott Webb of Fresno are...

Some housing bubble News from Wall Street and Washington. Bloomberg, "Taylor Wimpey Plc, reeling from the worst U.K. housing slump in 30 years, will write down 660 million pounds ($1.3 billion) of real estate. Taylor Wimpey will write down U.K. land and projects by 550 million pounds. That would be...

The Sun News reports from New Mexico. "Kevin Romney has been trying to sell his house in Las Cruces since 2007. He believes he would have had an easier time moving the property had he put it on the market a little sooner. 'We've had it on the market several times for about a year,' the 54-year-old...

Please post off-topic ideas, links and Craigslist finds here.

Today's Local News reports from California. "Ray Ellis, owner of Escondido Coin and Loan pawnshop, is used to customers coming in with rare or collectible coins for one of the four-month loans that is the industry standard. Recently, customers have been seeking larger amounts, up to $50,000, Ellis...

The Tampa Tribune reports from Florida. "The three-bedroom, 1,484-square-foot ranch house needed some work, but it had a big family room and a large back yard. Most important: Javier and Esmeralda Arroyo qualified for a loan on the $166,900 home...after being turned down for loans five times in a...