Washington Post and Assumptions

Inman News has a very interesting… I guess one would have to call it an Op/Ed or News Analysis on the Washington Post’s story on HUD Secretary Jackson’s last day: An article in last Sunday’s Post deserves credit for attempting to go beyond the allegations of cronyism that forced Jackson to resign, and taking a … Read more

I Hate to Beat Up On NAR But…

Really, I have no axe to grind against the National Association of Realtors. I suspect that I would like most of the individuals who work there, and I admire them for many things. The Center for Realtor Technology is a good example of things I admire about NAR. But they make it so easy to … Read more

A Development to Watch

From the invaluable Calculated Risks blog, Vallejo Close to Bankruptcy Filing: Vallejo, a city of 135,000 outside of San Francisco, moved closer to bankruptcy after negotiations with its labor unions collapsed. Bondholders will likely be asked to sacrifice some of their investment if the city seeks bankruptcy protection, an attorney for the municipality said last … Read more

Further Proof that NAR is Out of Touch

Thanks to InmanBlog, I learn that there is an ethical dilemma brewing in RE.net.  It appears that NAR has promulgated a new standard This standard falls under Article 12 in the Realtor code, which provides that Realtors “shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their … Read more

Bailing Out Banks: What’s In It for US?

I don’t normally write much on financial matters connected to real estate, because I recognize it as an area where frankly, I have no real expertise. I know generally how mortgages, CDO’s, subprime and so forth work, but beyond the basics, I get lost. Tanta, over at Calculated Risk, however, does not get lost. In … Read more

Bailing Out Banks: What's In It for US?

I don’t normally write much on financial matters connected to real estate, because I recognize it as an area where frankly, I have no real expertise. I know generally how mortgages, CDO’s, subprime and so forth work, but beyond the basics, I get lost. Tanta, over at Calculated Risk, however, does not get lost. In … Read more

Freedom Isn’t Free

A cautionary tale from the real estate world: The Fifth Amendment ends saying, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.” In the end, this is private, not public property. The same person that wants to dictate what can and cannot happen on private property, does not want anyone to tell … Read more

Freedom Isn't Free

A cautionary tale from the real estate world: The Fifth Amendment ends saying, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.” In the end, this is private, not public property. The same person that wants to dictate what can and cannot happen on private property, does not want anyone to tell … Read more

How Many Homes For Sale in the U.S.?

Doing some market research, I ran across a curious problem.  Apparently, no one knows how many homes are available for sale in the U.S. at any given time. Realtor.com — the closest thing we have to a national real estate website — claims “Over 3 million new, existing, and rental properties listed by Realtors” right … Read more