The Housing Bubble Blog

A report from the LA Daily News. "The economic impact of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires grows larger by the day. Homeowners, many of them underinsured, face years of anguish as they struggle to find temporary shelter and get claims paid. Consumers face ever-mounting insurance premiums —...

A report from Architectural Digest. "Before the devastating Los Angeles fires this week, California already had a looming insurance crisis on its hands. In one particularly heartbreaking example, ABC 7 reported on a nonagenarian couple whose fire insurance was canceled before the Eaton Fire....

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "Wildfires spared Tim Scanlon’s Altadena home as of Wednesday afternoon. But the music licensing executive worried that the firestorms rampaging across Los Angeles County still will affect his pocketbook, pushing already rising insurance premiums...

A report from WFTS. "Pressure is mounting on Florida lawmakers to address the rising costs for condo owners. Stories from Florida’s coast highlight the frustration of condo owners with increasing costs. One owner expressed concern, saying, 'It’s going to put a pinch on a lot of people with fixed...

A report from Island News in Hawaii. "Oahu's housing market ended 2024 with a bang. 'While the positive sales momentum in 2024 highlights a resilient market, affordability challenges remain a significant hurdle for many buyers,' Trevor Benn, president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors, said in a...

A report from the Spokesman Review in Washington. "In 2024, there were 26 homes in Spokane County that sold for more than $1.5 million. Of those, only nine were above $2 million, and only two homes sold for more than $3 million. Many of these multimillion-dollar homes would have sold for much less...

A report from the Arizona Republic. "An Arizona county known for its natural beauty and outdoor adventure opportunities was ranked among the top markets for vacation homes. Coconino County landed at No. 6 on the list from Pacaso, a marketplace for second or vacation homes. In Coconino County, a...

A report from the Columbia Missourian. "John Curry, sales manager at Frontier Property Management, which leases and sells homes in central Missouri and St. Louis, said that some people may be loath to see home prices fall, especially those who purchased homes when prices were lower and have seen...

A report from Bisnow. "Donald Trump’s election in November renewed hopes among some investors that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would once again be privatized. It turns out they didn’t have to wait for the next administration to get the ball rolling. The U.S. Department of Treasury announced late...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "As temperatures cool over winter, so too is the metro's housing market. Experts in Denver said they're feeling the dip, too, but they're not worried. 'There are options. I wouldn't say there's a lot,' said Keri Duffy, Market Trends committee member...

A report from WFTS in Florida. "Jenna Crosley’s front and back yards are both great spots for birdwatching. The only problem? Her Zephyrhills home isn’t adjacent to a nature preserve. Instead, an overflowing holding pond has turned her yard into a swampy mess popular with wading birds. The holding...

A report from Fox 13. "Homebuyers in Utah continue to navigate a challenging real estate market. Brian Thompson, a new homeowner, says while there were numerous options available, many were 'way overpriced.' To stand out in the crowded housing market, Thompson crafted a personal letter to the...

This month marks the 20th year for us at this blog. What are your housing bubble predictions for the new year? Six months ago: "'I predict lots of victim sob stories among rate daters who didn’t anticipate rates would stay higher-for-longer.' 'Rate daters, I wonder if that term will ever be...

A report from the West Volusia Beacon. "West Volusia in 1924 was a dynamic place, perched on the edge of a transformative decade. The Florida land boom was reshaping the county. Investors flocked to DeLand and nearby areas, lured by the promise of rich real estate opportunities. New subdivisions...

A report from the Danbury News-Times. "As 2024 comes to a close, the housing market in Danbury is outgrowing several Connecticut municipalities and the state overall, in both listings and sales. The number of single-family homes for sale increased by 27%, while the inventory for condominiums is up...

A report from the Daily Journal in Indiana. "Homebuyers and sellers are moving into good positions to buy and sell homes in Johnson County next year, local realtors say. Over the last year and a half, said Greg Leugers, the managing broker at The Leugers Group based in Franklin, has seen a change...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "In Kalispell, planned housing units are slowly declining from the peak of 878 in 2021 to about 250 units in 2024. In Whitefish, City Manager Dana Smith said the municipality has seen a significant drop in single-family home permits in the last two...

A report from Sarasota Magazine in Florida. "Earlier this month, Debi Reynolds was installed as the 2025 president of the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. Reynolds has seen a psychological shift in buyers. 'Sellers, too, sometimes have unrealistic expectations about their home’s value,...

A Christmas topic starting with the Wall Street Journal. "Adrianna Boshears’s dream of homeownership seemed within reach for the first time in 2021. She and her husband were finally saving money, thanks to pandemic stimulus checks and a larger-than-usual tax refund. A real-estate agent suggested...

A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Soaring costs for home insurance and property taxes are busting homeowners’ budgets. Nationwide, taxes and insurance make up more than half of the monthly mortgage payment for 9% of single-family mortgages. That is up from less than 4% at the end of 2014....