The Mysteriously Disappearing FSBO One of the less-remarked developments in today’s housing market is the relative absence of FSBO’s (“for sale by owner” homes). As recently as two years ago, more than 10% of all listings were; now, I’d guess that number is less than 5%. (Note: there are actually two kinds of FSBO’s: the...Read More
Local Exec Cashes In While Company Crashes If you’re disgusted by financial executives hauling in tens of millions while their companies crash and burn, it might be consoling to think the phenomenon is limited to Wall Street. Unfortunately, it’s not. As the Star Trib reported yesterday, the former CEO of MoneyGram, Philip Milne, received a...Read More
Exurbs: ‘Tomorrow’s Low-Income Housing?’ As the housing bust and recession has turned the exurbs from engines of growth to economic laggards, many [families who bought recently] have the worst of both worlds. They are still on the fringes but have no equity. In many cases the amenities they hoped would follow — new shopping centers,...Read More
The Quick Way to Bank Profitability If the roots of today’s financial crisis were economic in nature, the vital signs to monitor would be such financial measures as the stock market, unemployment levels, and interest rates. However, a growing chorus of commentators believe that today’s dysfunctional financial system is ultimately a symptom of a political...Read More
