The Housing Bubble Blog

A report from the Washington Examiner. "The price of everything is up since 2020, but in absolute terms nothing has gone up more than mortgages. With the 2024 presidential contest coming into focus, housing affordability will be among the economic issues at play. 'We are seeing people hold off —...

A report from the Green Bay Press Gazette. "Market conditions have shown signs of improvement for Wisconsin homebuyers as the state’s busy season ends. The problem for many buyers has long been a lack of homes for sale. But there's ongoing signs buyers in 62 of Wisconsin's 72 counties will find...

A weekend topic starting with the Times-Independent in Utah. "For Kaitlin Myers, the developments were at opposite ends of the Moab Valley but signaled the same trend. One was a small subdivision just a mile from the San Juan County border in Spanish Valley. The other, ensconced in downtown Moab,...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "The tough housing market has been especially hard for condo owners. Rufina Cappelli has lived in her St. Petersburg condo for 28 yards, but this month, she’s grappling with a new reality — the skyrocketing cost of her HOA dues. 'It was $376 for...

A report from the Naples Daily News in Florida. "'October had the highest number of new listings added to the market compared to any October since the pandemic' in the Naples area, Vanderbilt Realty broker Dominic Pallini said, noting this will help with negotiations for those wanting to buy....

A report from the Wall Street Journal. "Danielle Tantone and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Michael Tantone, bought their Mesa, Ariz., area home in July 2022 with a mortgage of about $600,000 that carried an interest rate of 5.62%. Both planned to refinance when mortgage rates fell. Instead, they are...

A report from US News and World Report. "'Even though new home sales have been solid, builders are increasingly having to react to weaker demand amidst growing unaffordability,' said Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant. 'While the median price of existing homes continues to increase, in...

A report from the Arizona Republic. "Metro Phoenix home sales are slowing, so sellers brace yourselves. 'This is not a good time to test a price higher than market value for your home,' said Tina Tamboer, senior housing analyst with The Cromford Report. 'The seller’s market weakens on a daily...

A report from the Bradenton Herald in Florida. "The median price for existing single-family houses in the Bradenton area fell 12.8% to $479,000 in October, the largest decline this year. It was also the first time since February 2022 that the median fell below $500,000. 'Inventory has been on this...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "An 11% increase in new listings shows there’s some movement again in a market that stagnated during the regular summer doldrums. 'What closed in October surprised me,' said Corcoran broker associate Linda Cullen, who specializes in neighborhoods...

A report from the Tampa Bay Times. "Last month, a federal jury in Missouri found that the National Association of Realtors and several large brokerages had conspired in a price fixing scheme that inflated the commissions agents earned from each sale. The suit centered around the group’s rules for...

A report from the Palm Beach Daily News in Florida. "Real estate agents and brokers are welcoming house-hunters with some good news, even if that news is relative: Although November almost always sees an uptick in listings, more properties are for sale right now in the multiple listing service than...

A report from the New York Times. "In the class-action suit, a federal jury in Missouri ruled that the National Association of Realtors and several real estate brokerages had conspired to fix prices. 'Brokers are nervous that they won’t make as much money. Instead of $65,000 a year, they’ll make...

A report from Fox 4 in Florida. "A luxury condominium for cars will soon come to Collier County. The Lutgert Companies have revealed their plans to construct the facility which will be named the Naples Auto Vault, on Airport Road. The facility is designed to provide a secure storage space for...

A report from the Waco Herald Tribune in Texas. "Home construction has all but fallen off a cliff. The 371 permits issued through September to build new single-family homes in Waco is the lowest since the January-September total in 2016, and is down 32% from the first nine months a year ago. The 22...

A weekend topic starting with Esquire. "What’s going on underneath the hood of the self-driving car industry? According to Joanne McNeil, the tech critic behind a thrilling new industry satire, the harsh reality is a whole lot of 'bizarre and usually non-functional technologies that don’t deliver...

It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "More builders are offering new incentives to keep buyers on the hook in a tough housing market. How about free mortgage payments? That’s what one builder is doing. 'Right now, we’re offering if you buy a house, no payments for six months. We’re...

A report from the Real Deal on Texas. "While Austin’s average sale price remains well above historical levels — the median price is 44 percent higher than it was five years ago — recent months have seen a marked slowdown in sales volume and price. In October, the median home price in the...

A report from the Orange County Register in California. "Even with the happiest place on earth just a stone’s throw away, Realtors are feeling more like Disney’s Grumpy than Happy these days. 'When I look at the statistics, we are not happy,' Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National...

A report from Curbed New York. "If you want views of Central Park and at least 6,000 never-before-lived-in square feet from which to admire them, you’ve got a lot to choose from right now: Central Park Tower’s 17,545-square-foot penthouse — 'a once-in-a-generation residence' — is on sale for 22...