The Housing Bubble Blog

What do you see in your local housing market this holiday weekend? Builder incentives? Relisted properties? Anecdotes? How about cheaper land? "During the real-estate boom and recent slowdown, the focus has been almost entirely on the price of homes. But land prices have taken an even wilder ride."...

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

A composite of three related topic suggestions. "What Christmas gift would you get for you neighborhood realtor, mortgage broker, appraiser or any other related industry member?" A reply, "How about a framed picture of a bird: Particularly, a vulture." Another added, "2006 edition - What Color is...

The LA Times reports from California. "If all you have ever wanted for Christmas was a second home in Mammoth Lakes, this may be the season Santa delivers. The current market is so glutted with unsold units that even St. Nick might pounce if prices start to melt. The numbers tell the Mammoth Lakes...

The Herald Tribune reports from Florida. "New home construction, the linchpin of this North Port's spending plans, has slowed to a comparative standstill and even optimists say these doldrums are far from over. The massive drop in home building, which started in April, has left everyone from City...

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

The Review Journal reports from Nevada. "Dennis Smith of Home Builders Research reported a slight increase in Las Vegas new home sales in November to 2,829, up from 2,606 in October. He counted 2,753 resales, the lowest monthly total since early 2004." "Median new home prices climbed to $335,850,...

Readers suggested a topic about incomes and home prices. "I would like to see bloggers reponse on how much money you should make to afford a home that costs:" 150K 300K 500K 50K 1M "Just to get a feeling for what kind of income does it 'really' takes to afford one of these monsters." A reply, "The...

A report from Newsday. "Hector Rodriguez sits in his nearly empty home in Hicksville longing for his wife, Annalucya, and 4-year-old son, Daniel. They have been separated since the spring, when Annalucya and Daniel moved into the family's new home in Atlanta. Rodriguez says he anticipated a fairly...

The Star Banner reports from Florida. "At the start of 2006, realtors, builders and county officials extolled Marion County's white-hot housing market. But as the year drew to a close, there was an ominous forecast that the local home building boom was headed for a bust." "A report released earlier...

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It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "A new report from the Des Moines Realtors Association shows sellers have reason to worry, but also to cheer. The real estate group says the Des Moines metro market has about 800 more homes for sale than a year ago. 'It would be a Christmas miracle...

The Pasadena Star reports from California. "Home sales in Los Angeles County dropped 21.6 percent compared to last year and some communities are showing drops in median home prices, according to figures released Thursday." "The statewide median home price increased 1.4 percent in November, the...

The Seattle PI reports from Washington. "While Seattle experienced some of the slowing affecting housing nationally, it is clear that slow here is not the same slow as in many markets. 'Yes, some consumer confidence issues, some weather issues, some holiday issues are giving us a cold,' said Peter...

The Naples News reports from Florida. "Two sales have been successfully completed since an Oct. 21 Naples residential real estate auction. The first house at 1430 Crayton Road sold to a Minnesota company for $660,000, according to records from the Collier County property appraiser’s office." "The...

Newsday reports from New York. "Well, the sky isn't falling, but local real-estate market conditions remain mostly cloudy, for sellers at least, according to housing data released yesterday." "The latest data was more confirmation that the long run of double-digit price increases on Long Island had...

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

These topics will be run on through the holiday on Monday as well. Also, send in your housing bubble pics to: photos@thehousingbubbleblog.com Please type 'HBB' into the message bar to aid in sorting.

The California realtors have their November numbers out. "Home sales decreased 22.2 percent in November in California compared with the same period a year ago. The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during November 2006 was $555,290, a 1.4 percent increase over...

AZfamily.com reports from Arizona. "Just like the housing boom, the condo craze has also slowed down. The condo boom started as a cheaper alternative to buying a single-family home. But once the market became overcrowded with condos, some developers are now forced to rent." "'Just recently, we had...