Writing has been very light. Who am I kidding? It’s been nonexistent. Part of it is that I’ve been very busy with projects, but the other part is that there really hasn’t been much of interest that I haven’t written about over and over before. Enjoy the silence, I figure. I break that silence because … Read more
There’s not much that excites the hoi polloi of the real estate industry more than the suggestion of disintermediation: that one day, buyers and sellers would transact business without having to call their local REALTOR and pay the commission. If it’s not one lion over the hill, then it’s another. If it’s not a lion, … Read more
Housing is back! So says the media and Lawrence Yun of NAR. 872,000 new housing starts in September. Prices are up some 11.7% in September. And Lawrence Yun is projecting 15% increase in home values over the next three years. So… what the hell is going on over at the FHA? The Federal Housing Agency, … Read more
Housing is back! So says the media and Lawrence Yun of NAR. 872,000 new housing starts in September. Prices are up some 11.7% in September. And Lawrence Yun is projecting 15% increase in home values over the next three years. So… what the hell is going on over at the FHA? The Federal Housing Agency, … Read more
I am not an economist, and I don’t play one on TV, and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night… but I kinda look like one. Plus, Seth Price of Placester isn’t an economist either as far as I know, although he’s a good friend who is not only brilliant but … Read more
Real estate people are some of the most optimistic people I know. They have to be in order to work a business in which they don’t make a penny without a transaction getting done, and the driving motivation for the consumer is a dream: The American Dream, the Dream of Homeownership, Your Dream Home. Real … Read more
The Wall Street Journal carried a story today on its front page entitled, “Banks Push Home Buyers to Put Down More Cash“. The key paragraph: The median down payment in nine major U.S. cities rose to 22% last year on properties purchased through conventional mortgages, according to an analysis for The Wall Street Journal by … Read more