The Housing Bubble Blog

The Sun Sentinel reports from Florida. "Home prices in South Florida 'easily' could be 20 percent to 30 percent higher by 2013, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Yun called 2008 a 'year of cleanup' and says the second half will be better than the first...

And please do not send in your housing bubble pics just now. I think that gallery has outlived its usefulness. I'll come up with something better and a separate place for the 'On The Road' pics. And for anyone wondering about my change in post timing, I lost the ability to date these just before I...

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

The San Diego Reader reports from California. "What's the difference between National City and Rancho Santa Fe? Well - er, uh - money comes to mind. Last year, median household income in National City was $44,130, according to figures provided by the San Diego Association of Governments. That was...

Some housing bubble news from Wall Street and Washington. Reuters, "Thornburg Mortgage Inc, a specialist in jumbo home loans that nearly went bankrupt in March, posted a $3.31 billion first-quarter loss on Thursday as the value of mortgages and other securities it owns plummeted. Results included a...

The Desplains Times reports from Illinois. "Last month Dan decided to stop paying his mortgage. It was hard for him. Dan, who is in his 20s and grew up in Chicago's Edison Park community, paid all his bills, always on time, and is proud of it. Dan started looking for a place of his own with his...

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

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

AS the road tour has been extended through tomorrow, and the first OTR thread is kind of full, I'll keep posting observations in this posts comments.

My running observations of what I see as I travel, in the comments.

Some housing bubble news from around the world. Buffalo News, "It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Susie Lenahan glides her Acura sedan past a row of picture-book Victorians. A recent afternoon finds her in Allentown, Buffalo’s frayed but still elegant artsy/gay epicenter. Spotting a...

The Palm Beach Post from Florida. "Homeowner Chentella Harper-Graham fell behind on her mortgage payments after a one-two punch to her pocketbook. Her husband lost his job as a clerk at a law firm, and she became caretaker for her ailing mother. The West Palm Beach woman was among the flood of Palm...

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

The Sacramento Bee reports from California. "CalPERS stands to lose a chunk of its $947 million investment in a Los Angeles land development that's filed for bankruptcy protection. CalPERS and two partners spent $970 million in January 2007 to buy 68 percent of LandSource Communities Development...

Readers suggested a topic on the record number of foreclosures. "Do foreclosures always go up? And when will asking prices finally reflect the glut of foreclosures coming back on the market? I can wait forever if necessary, as renting is still cheaper than owning. 'Home foreclosures and late...

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

The Times Tribune reports from Pennsylvania. "A white banner advertising Silvana Hogben’s real estate business overlooks the waiting area. It begins: 'Su casa, la inversion mas importante de su vida,' relaying to the office’s mostly Hispanic clients that “Your house is the most important investment...

Readers sugested a topic on future concerns. "I would like to know what future scenarios keep people here potentially awake at night. What kinds of unfolding events related to the housing bubble seem rather plausible and make people’s anxiety go up? Thanks!" A reply, "Unplanned pregnancies and...

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

The Press Democrat reports from California. "After selling just 16 homes in an entire year, Standard Pacific Homes is tired of waiting for a housing turnaround and aims to auction off the rest of its Santa Rosa subdivision in a single day. Today's auction of 17 homes at Avondale is different in one...