The Housing Bubble Blog

A housing report from the California realtors. "Affordability concerns continued to impact the residential real estate market in California, with the share of first-time buyers declining to their second lowest level from 30.5 percent in 2005 to 27.1 percent in 2006, according to CAR." "The CAR...

The Garden Island reports from Hawaii. "Kaua‘i home sales had a slower start than last year, with the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors reporting an almost 17 percent drop in the number of January island-wide house sales. January condominium sales fell about 70 percent." "However the numbers don’t...

Some housing bubble news from Wall Street and the Washington Post. "With college costs looming for their four children, Bryan and Susan Andrews were looking for a way to cut their monthly expenses. The sales pitch that came in the mail seemed perfect: A mortgage at 1.95 percent, fixed for five...

The Herald Tribune reports from Florida. "More and more sellers in Southwest Florida are coming to the conclusion that the only way to attract buyers in a sagging real estate market is by slashing prices. Serial condo converter Matt Kihnke is now offering one-bedroom Bradenton apartments for...

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Inman News reports on Colorado. "Colorado's housing market endured a slower December as sales and prices of single-family homes dropped from their 2005 levels, according to statistics provided by the Colorado Association of Realtors. There were 5,033 single-family homes sold statewide in December,...

Some housing reports from Wall Street and Washington. "Amid brightening hopes that the U.S. housing market is stabilizing, some economists are zeroing in on a piece of data that could augur badly for the consensus view: the homeowner vacancy rate." "That figure has climbed to its highest level...

The Chicago Tribune reports from Illinois. "For Joelle Murphy and Patrick Blackwell, last fall was a blur of open houses. For 21 tedious Sunday afternoons, from August to January, a real estate agent camped out in their living room, trying to sell their house. Early in January, they decided they'd...

The Record reports from New Jersey. "Diane Barone could hardly wait for the six-month real estate listing on her Elmwood Park ranch home to expire in late January. She had listed with a neighbor, who is a real estate agent, in July. And she didn't think the agent did enough to market the home."...

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The Tribune reports from California. "With home appreciation slowing and payments increasing for some buyers who chose creative financing, foreclosure activity in San Luis Obispo County is starting to creep up. Default notices were sent to 367 owners of homes and condominiums last year. That’s up...

A housing report from the Arizona Republic. "Pinal County's resale housing market is steadily declining. The number of sales dropped to 720 in the final quarter of 2006 from a record high of 1,785 in the second quarter of 2005, according to Realty Studies at Arizona State University." "In the...

The Orlando Sentinel reports from Florida. "Today, the demand for 55-plus housing remains high, and units in the older complexes are relative bargains. It would seem to be a perfect sales environment. Except that the units aren't selling. The older complexes were hit hard by assessments to cover...

What do you see in your housing market this weekend? Changes in local government? "Even at the height of excess revenues from the county’s deeds tax, county officials knew the cash cow wouldn’t graze in Barnstable’s fields forever. Revenue solely from the Registry of Deeds Tax is anticipated by the...

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The Register Guard reports from Oregon. "The Register-Guard's Board of Economists predicts that 2007 will be a year of continued, albeit slow, growth in Lane County. Board member Bill Conerly sounded a note of caution, however, saying he is telling his business clients they need to plan for a...

Reades suggested a topic about the role of the internet and the housing bubble. "While reading yesterday’s 'The Rest Of The Worst Is Yet To Come' post, something occurred to me. People in Des Moines, Iowa are aware of what is going on in the major real estate markets at either end of the country in...

The Review Journal reports from Nevada. "The only thing missing from real estate consultant Steve Bottfeld's presentation Thursday at Crystal Ball 2007 was his cheerleader outfit. 'I don't care what anyone says, prices in Las Vegas will continue to rise,' Bottfeld told 1,100 real estate...

The Journal News reports from Ohio. "With home sales and new residential construction in a slump in Greater Cincinnati, Realtors and builders are teaming on a new marketing campaign to boost consumer confidence. The result is a six-week 'Buy Now' online, print, broadcast and billboard campaign...

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