The Housing Bubble Blog

Two reports from CNBC. "Your home may be many things. But one thing it is not is a great investment, according to Jonathan Clements, editor of HumbleDollar.com and author of 'How to Think About Money.' That’s because the price appreciation of a house is 'pretty modest' — about 1% a year faster than...

A report from the Buffalo News in New York. "Eighteen months ago, the network of companies run by Robert C. Morgan was one of the fastest-growing apartment owners in Western New York. Now, with two executives pleading guilty to federal charges and another under indictment, the once-rapidly growing...

A report from the Wall Street Journal. "For five years, European nations have been trying to jump-start their ailing economies with what was supposed to be a radical, short-term remedy—negative interest rates. Instead, central banks haven’t been able to wean their economies off them. The policy...

A report from CNBC. "A sizable drop in mortgage interest rates didn’t do much to help home sales in April, as high prices and tight supply at the low end of the market continued to sideline buyers. 'We see that the inventory totals have steadily improved, and will provide more choices for those...

A report from 7 News Melbourne in Australia. "Gumtree is typically used as an avenue to sell unwanted household goods for extra cash. But the downturn in the property market is hitting some Melbourne families so hard that hundreds are trying to sell their land through the online marketplace."...

A report from the Orange County Register in California. "Southern California builders, stuck with the largest supply of unsold homes in seven years, have slashed construction to the slowest pace since 2016. First-quarter data from MetroStudy shows 3,750 new homes went unsold in the four counties...

A report from KHON in Hawaii. "For the first time in years, Hawaii’s housing market is beginning to level out. April showed the median single-family home decrease to about $760,000 on Oahu, which is cheaper than six months ago when prices were above $800,000. 'We're seeing a shift in the market...

A weekend topic starting with the Wall Street Journal. "From “Tying Down the Anchor: The Task Gets Tougher,” a paper by Kevin Warsh presented May 3 at a Hoover Institution conference: For most of the post-crisis period, the Fed grew the size and scope of its balance sheet in order to provide...

A report from the Idaho Statesman. "Downtown Boise has become a popular residential neighborhood, with more than 300 new apartments, townhouses and condominiums opening in the past two years. Amid a virtual stampede of developers rushing to put up Downtown housing, there will soon be even more...

A report from the Herald Tribune in Florida. "One of Florida’s premier economic forecasters handed a full banquet room a bouquet of fragrant roses — that being a metaphor for a sweet future for the state. 'Florida is outperforming the national economy,' said Sean Snaith, director of the University...

A report from the Globe and Mail in Canada. "Jon Buss has spent the past four months looking for a home in West Vancouver. Every weekend, he and his wife attend an open house in the exclusive coastal community. They have noticed the same thing at almost every one: 'No one ever shows up.' Often it’s...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "In April, there were 1,852 more homes on the market than the same time in 2018, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors. That’s a 36 percent increase and the most active listings in five years. But as the supply grows, demand has...

A report from CNBC. "Why aren’t builders rushing to put shovels in the ground? Speaking at CNBC’s Capital Exchange event in Washington, D.C., Sheryl Palmer, the CEO of Arizona-based Taylor Morrison Homes put it bluntly: 'The fourth quarter [of 2018] was probably, holistically, the worst quarter...

A report from Inman News. "'While overall foreclosure activity is down nationwide, there are still parts of the country that we need to keep a close eye on,' said Todd Teta, chief product officer at Attom Data Solutions. 'For instance, Florida is seeing a steady annual increase in total foreclosure...

A report from the Star Phoenix in Canada. "Regina’s residential construction industry is experiencing a heavy downturn, with this year’s housing starts on track to be the lowest in 11 years. Jeff Marchigiano, the sales manager for Gilroy Homes, said the company cut half its construction staff in...

A report from the Idaho Statesman. "Home prices leaped to record-setting levels in April in Canyon County. The median house price jumped $18,500 from March (which also was a record) to April, to $248,500, the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service reported. Still, that’s $83,490 less than April’s...

A report from the Toronto Star in Canada. "Over the last few months, the staggering scale of money laundering in the Toronto and Vancouver real estate markets has come into focus. Even though real-estate agents are technically required to report suspicious transactions, they are incentivized by...

A report from the Washington Post. "For the past five years, the number of existing homes for sale has lagged below demand, setting the stage for a market that favors sellers. Could the tide finally be turning in favor of buyers? Maybe. A new study by Trulia found signs that the housing market in...

A report from the Canadian Press. "Albertans struggling to enter the real-estate market have at least two chances to win a home this year. All one needs to do is pay an entry fee and submit an essay. Owners of the two properties are among many in the province affected by a slumping real-estate...

A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Almost 30% of loans that mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac packaged into bonds last year went to home buyers whose total debt payments amounted to more than 43% of their incomes, according to an analysis by industry research group Inside Mortgage...