The Housing Bubble Blog

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

The True Causes Of The Debacle

A weekend topic on housing finance. The New York Post, "Jamie Dimon got Bear Stearns for a bargain price — and he says he’s still paying for it. Seven years after the financial crisis, the JPMorgan Chase boss now says he totally regrets buying the teetering Wall Street firm — at the urging of the...
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A High-Risk Money-Go-Round

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Several houses with former celebrity owners have lingered on the market for months — or, in the case of Bob and Dolores Hope's Palm Springs estate, several years. The Hope mansion was originally offered privately for $50 million in March 2013. It...
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The Way To Enlightenment

The New Zealand Herald. "It is hard to know what I am more excited about this week, our dollar or our houses. Records all over the place. Barfoot & Thompson, who sell the bulk of Auckland's homes, saw an average price of 776 grand. And in one of those lines with an appropriate amount of flourish,...
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Pent-Up Seller Readiness To Turn A Quick Profit

A report from Colorado Public Radio. "Despite huge increases in the metro population, the number of homes under construction here is still about half normal levels. In 2003, contractors started construction on about 16,000 homes. More than a decade later, in 2014, there were only about 8,000 home...
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Investors More Likely To Exit At A Loss

The Midland Reporter Telegram reports from Texas. "The Midland-Odessa area and the Permian Basin have enjoyed economic expansion for 12 years or more, with remarkable growth coming in the last five years, said Karr Ingham, the Amarillo economist who prepares the index for Security Bank and the...
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A Grand Experiment In Promoting Risk Taking

A weekend started by comments in Saturday's Bits Bucket. "Is it a safe bet that the dollar will weaken and Wall Street will party Monday on the realization that no Fed rate hikes are imminent?" "Was it ever imminent?" From Forbes. "The world has been on a debt binge, increasing total global debt...
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Many Are Looking To Exit Their Investment

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "If you’re interested in buying a newly constructed house in the Washington region, you’ll find plenty of options in a variety of price ranges. Just be prepared for a long wait — there may be few move-in-ready options this spring. 'There’s definitely...
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They Gambled And Lost

KUNC reports on Colorado. "Northern Colorado is the fastest growing part of a fast-growing state. While growth is often seen as good for the economy, the speed of the change is creating a housing crunch. From Denver to Fort Collins, renters and buyers are being squeezed. If wages don't start to...
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