The Housing Bubble Blog

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

Gravity Has Been Revealed

Business in Vancouver reports from Canada. "When more than 2,000 buyers crammed into a Surrey sales site April 18 they may have ended debate about the future of tiny condos in Metro Vancouver’s white-hot housing market. Buyers had lined up from four in the morning for a chance to buy a...
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Sellers Are Waking Up

A report from Bloomberg. "Gold’s traditional role as a store of wealth has been usurped by contemporary art and apartments in cities such as New York and London, according to Laurence D. Fink, head of the world’s biggest asset manager. 'The two greatest stores of wealth internationally today is...
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Selling For Profit, Selling Out Of Necessity

New Kerala reports on India. "Affordable, need-based housing is fast shrinking in Goa even as the state is being positioned as a luxury destination for the rich and an 'ideal' market for investment-oriented second homes. Over the last few years, a steady stream of luxury housing projects, niche...
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The Mistake Of Regarding Homes As An Asset Class

The Marin Independent Journal reports from California. "Marin single-family home prices jumped 3.4 percent in March as the county continues to deal with a supply and demand problem that’s causing bidding wars among buyers. The median price of a Marin home in March was $987,000, compared with...
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Does 'It’s Just A Boom' Still Hold True?

A weekend post on bubble recognition. The Seattle Bubble, "Housing Bubble 2.0: The Perma-Bears Respond. "Ben Jones, who has been blogging about the housing bubble from down in Arizona since late 2004 at The Housing Bubble Blog linked to my 'Welcome to Housing Bubble 2.0' post yesterday, prompting...
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A Riskless, Highly Profitable Investment

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Sonoma County home sales remain at their lowest level in seven years, but last month, 613 properties entered the market as new listings, the most for March in five years. Bill Facendini, president and broker for Terra Firma Global Partners in Santa...
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High Prices And A Glut Of New Inventory

KGW reports from Oregon. "Portland's hot housing market has buyers stepping up their game, and the pressure is forcing some to get personal. Local realtors and sellers say they've seen cases, recently, of desperate buyers sending unexpected gifts, like baked goods or wine, and dropping by...
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The Third Episode Of The Global Financial Crisis

A housing bubble report from News day. "Take an evening stroll on either side of New York’s Central Park and you will notice how few lights are on in the newer apartment buildings. That’s because no one lives there. Across the globe, empty luxury apartments darken many of the most desirable...
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You Could Say The Shortage Is Over

The Toronto Star reports from Canada. "Earlier this week, I participated in the Canada Mortgage and Housing annual industry roundtable. What I can say is that there is a strong demand for housing — both market and rental — in the GTA as up to 100,000 people choose to make this great region their...
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