Finding “The One” “If you’re looking for a high-rise condo, we won’t show you a house in the suburbs.” –Radio ad, “It’s Just Lunch” dating service For years, my clients have heard me compare house-hunting to dating. Example: if you are still ambivalent about a home after viewing it three (or more) times . ....Read More
Political Analysis Reductio Ad Absurdum If you believe the pundits, the entire Presidential election turns on a handful of swing states. Of these, Ohio apparently looms largest. Even within Ohio, however, a handful of counties are considered most pivotal. Within those counties are especially critical wards, and within said wards are a handful of toss-up...Read More
Eyes on the Prize “It will fluctuate.” –Financier JP Morgan, when asked what the stock market will do. “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” –Yogi Berra Regular readers of this blog know that I’m chary of making predictions — about the housing market or anything else. But, here’s a relatively safe one: ...Read More
High and Dry — and Light “Goldman Sachs is good at disaster preparedness ” too good.” –Jessica Pressler, “Goldman Has the Power“; New York magazine (11/3/2012). The word last week from some reliable sources — my sister, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law — was that, in the wake of Sandy’s storm surge, Manhattan was light above 30th...Read More
Are Natural Disasters Partisan? Every time the wire services publish a photo of President Obama comforting a victim of Hurricane Sandy, it’s hard to imagine jaded citizens (and potential voters) not being touched, at least a little bit (and no, I’m not attaching political motives to Obama’s humanitarian actions). In fact, a broader principle seems to be...Read More
“Exotic” Minnesota “I was debating whether to go to the Turkish-Syrian border this week or to visit my old high school in Minnesota. I decided to make the exotic foreign trip and go to Minnesota.” –Tom Friedman, “Minnesota Mirror“; The New York Times (10/31/2012) You may not agree with everything New York Times columnist (and...Read More
