A report from Bloomberg. "It was considered one of the root causes of the global financial crisis, and regulators have spent over a decade trying to stamp the practice out. Yet Kroll Bond Rating Agency Inc.’s $2 million fine this…
It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. San Francisco saw the biggest year-over-year drop in rental costs in September, but Boston wasn’t far behind, according to Zumper. The median price for a one-bedroom…
A report from CNBC on California. "Greg Tribulato is having trouble getting buyers interested in two extensively renovated condominiums he’s trying to sell in San Francisco’s Mission district. They’ve been on the market for three months. The one with two…
A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Debt didn’t present a major problem before the coronavirus. The job market was booming and median household incomes were rising, allowing families to keep up with payments. Terri Smith, 64, said her job…
A report from BU News Service on Massachusetts. "Some property owners leave vacant units rather than bear the costs of lost rent, maintenance, utilities and other bills they may never recoup. 'I’ve put [some units] out of touch for the…
A report from the Star Tribune in Minnesota. "On a good month, the upper floor of Michael and Krista Browne’s Minneapolis duplex near the University of Minnesota could pull in $2,750 to $3,000 as an Airbnb rental. For the Brownes…
A weekend topic starting with the Wall Street Journal. "Protesters frustrated that marches on the streets haven’t resulted in more dramatic police reforms have found a new stage: the homes of big city mayors. In San Jose, Calif., a group…
A report from CNBC. "Late Tuesday, the Trump administration announced a somewhat creative plan to stop most rental evictions through the end of the year. 'Without mortgage forbearance protections and protections from other property-level financial obligations such as property taxes,…
A weekend topic starting with two articles in the Los Angeles Times. "Four months into the pandemic, never has the city seemed so upside down. Parking attendants wave flags to the empty streets. Storefronts, boarded-up from break-ins, merge with stalled…
A report from Boston.com in Massachusetts. "International buyers, a key ingredient in new downtown condo projects, have pulled back in the past few years. The pullback is a departure from real estate anecdotes in recent years across the country of…