The Housing Bubble Blog

Examining the home price boom and its effect on owners, lenders, regulators, realtors and the economy as a whole.

Starting To Get Nervous About Prices

CNBC reports on Colorado. "Houses have been flying off the shelves for the past six months, but the sales pace is starting to slow, and could in fact decelerate more dramatically in some of the hottest markets come winter. Real estate agents and homebuilders say they are starting to see more buyers...
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Investors Are The First To Exit

The Calgary Herald reports from Canada. "According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, MLS sales in the Calgary apartment category this month, to Thursday, have fallen 38.1 per cent compared to the same period a year ago, with 245 transactions. The average sale price has dipped nearly 11 per cent, to...
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A Problem With The Great Monetary Experiment

A weekend topic on recent financial markets and the housing bubble. The Los Angeles Times. "Seven years ago when the housing bubble burst, it nearly took down Wall Street and the entire U.S. economy. This week, the concern was the reverse: That the prospect of an extended dive in the stock market,...
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Solving A Debt Crisis With More Debt

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Diana Gonzales’ Wylie home was picture perfect when she put it on the market. Still, she was surprised when it sold in a flash. 'We had about 12 offers,' says Gonzales, “and the offers were way over the list price!' Corporate relocations like Toyota...
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Like A Snake Trying To Eat An Elephant

A report from the New Zealand Herald. "An Auckland property agent is the latest beneficiary of a series of sales of a modest West Auckland house which has rocketed in price by $153,000 in 13 weeks. Barfoot and Thompson managing director Peter Thompson says he understands the three-bedroom home was...
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Organized Money Is Already On The Scene

KPCC reports from California. "Los Angeles officials will hold citywide meetings on short-term rentals in the coming weeks as they move toward regulating the rapidly-growing industry. Sebastien De Kleer was among the handful of professional short-term rental operators who spoke. De Kleer noted his...
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A Resistance To What People Are Willing To Pay

The Real Deal reports from New York. "With the stock market sliding, sales of luxury Manhattan real estate dipped last week, according to Olshan Realty’s latest report. Buyers signed just 21 contracts at $4 million and up last week, and the average number of days on the market was 345, up from 264...
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Walking Out Of The Casino Empty-Handed

KPIX 5 reports from California. "Chinese money has been helping power the local real estate market for years. But even some of the most bullish local realtors have been flinching as markets on both sides of the Pacific have plunged in recent days. Ken DeLeon of DeLeon Realty in Palo Alto is one of...
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It's Not Just A History Lesson

A weekend topic on interest rates and the housing bubble. MetroNews from Canada. "In July, the Bank of Canada lowered its overnight lending rate from 0.75 per cent to 0.50 per cent. The major banks soon followed suit, resulting in increased sales activity in the GTA. The Canada Mortgage and Housing...
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