The Housing Bubble Blog

The Capital Times reports on the condo boom in Wisconsin. "With lots of seniors ready to give up their homes, Monona seemed the ideal place for a condominium boom. Now, developers of a string of condo projects are either retooling or dropping their plans. Blamed are a sagging demand for such...

The homebuilders have the September confidence numbers out. "Reflecting increasing builder concerns about conditions in the market for new single-family homes, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index declined for an eighth consecutive month to a level of 30 in September. This...

A housing report from the Arizona Republic. "Metropolitan Phoenix's housing market is "somewhat" vulnerable to a real estate bubble. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, because if home prices dip a little, affordability will climb and the area's growth has a better chance of continuing." "That...

Bloomberg reports on the US housing market. "Nancy and Brian Christopherson are asking $389,900 for their eight-room Colonial Revival home in Westford, Massachusetts, featuring a new kitchen with maple cabinets. Even at that price, they'll lose $14,100. Monthly price reductions since they listed it...

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Some housing bubble reports from California. The LA Daily News, "At this point in the San Fernando Valley's real estate downturn, the market is rolling elevens. Sales of previously owned, single-family homes have fallen from their year-ago level for 11 consecutive months. This down-market started...

The Waco Tribune reports from Texas. "Anyone thinking about selling their Waco-area home should consider one thing — it’s crowded out there. About 40 percent more homes went on the market through August of this year than during the same period last year, according to the MLS." "That means sellers...

Readers suggested the topic of housing bubble accountability. "What do the bloggers here think of this topic: Accountability: How do we ensure it in the housing bubble’s bursting? Civil lawsuits? Criminal lawsuits? Tarring & feathering or other community direct action?" "Those are the only ones...

What do you see in your housing market this weekend? Builder incentives? "The $99,000 amount is an approximate incentive for homes available to close escrow by December 24, 2006.Vacation Getaway is limited to select locations. The prize will be forfeited if certificate is not claimed by the winner...

The Palm Beach Post reports from Florida. "Complaints are nothing new to Ceebraid-Signal, the developer affiliated with Bocar. In addition to Bocar, home buyers have been frustrated by delays at another Boca Raton condo conversion, Eden." "Now it seems the wait might soon be over for some Eden...

A housing report from the Boston Globe. "Only now, months into a soft market, are home sellers finally beginning to concede on prices, but only so much. 'I realize this is a buyers' market, but it's not a seller's suicide market,' said Georgi May, a realtor based in Lowell." "Certainly it is...

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Kenneth Harney has this report on appraisals. "In cooling real estate markets, it's one of the hottest questions: How do you value a specific piece of property when local home sales are down 20 percent to 40 percent from last year, inventories of unsold homes have ballooned by 200 percent or more,...

Several readers suggested topics related to housing bubble outcomes. "A question I’ve had for some time is this… will Joe Public: * Who bought a house for $500,000, with $0 (or negligable) down ARM & Now finds finds himself underwater to the tune of $100,000 with a increasing payment." "Two...

The Post and Courier reports from South Carolina. "For two years it was a feeding frenzy. What began as a pragmatic investment alternative to a shaky stock market after Sept. 11, 2001, suddenly prompted thousands of regular people to jump into real estate. In Fort Myers, the raging real estate...

The Boston Globe reports on the condo market. "International design superstar Philippe Starck and his partners in a Boston condominium project, struggling to sell their luxury units in a stagnant market, have dropped their asking prices an average of 12 percent and hired a new real estate agent."...

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It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. From Massachusetts, "Numbers just released show mortgage foreclosures are at their highest level in more than a year leaving current real estate prospects will the question of whether to rent or to buy a property. 'We found the housing market around...

The Rocky Mountain News reports from Colorado. "Colorado continued to lead the U.S. in the foreclosure rate in August. RealtyTrac showed 6,079 homes in Colorado are in some stage of foreclosure, more than 150 percent higher than a year ago and about 60 percent higher than July." "Economist Tucker...

Carol Lloyd writes for the San Francisco Gate. "To hear the off-the-cuff remarks of real estate agents is enough to inspire a new horror genre. 'It's cratering underneath my feet,' muttered one agent after his pristinely marketed, cautiously priced listing engendered only a single, below-asking...