The Virtue(s) of a Slower, Quieter Housing Market Apparently, at least a few industry players are trying to spin what is expected to be modest price appreciation in 2015 into something . . . bigger. See, “Projecting 2015 Housing Prices Using Statistical Sleight of Hand.” I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to embellish...Read More
Don’t Fight the Fed — Housing Edition “I am still aware of the inorganic nature of the improvement [in housing], but the key takeaway is a) US housing market down 35% eventually stabilizes; 2) do not under-estimate the ability of a determined Central Bank to impact any specific market it chooses.” –Barry Ritholtz, “Mea Culpas...Read More
“Post-Bubble Price Behavior” If you don’t track financial blogs, the Op-Ed pages of The Wall Street Journal, etc. on the state of the housing market, allow me to summarize what the bears are currently saying (my paraphrase): “Yes, after a 35% price drop nationally, the air has been let out of the housing bubble. And...Read More
“Has Your Housing Market Hit Bottom?” and Other Disingenuous Questions Making money in the stock market is easy: only buy stocks that go up. If they don’t go up, don’t buy ’em. –Mark Twain One of my biggest peeves as a Realtor is disingenuous articles that suggest that calling housing market tops and bottoms — and...Read More
What’s in Store? In keeping with my patented formula for predicting future housing prices — extrapolate current trends — herewith is my forecast for the second half of 2011: –Continued, record-low mortgage and interest rates; –Brisk demand for affordable, updated homes in high-demand Twin Cities neighborhoods (think, Linden Hills, Morningside, Fern Hill, Tyrol Hills, etc.); –Anemic...Read More
Upping (Lowering?) the Ante In my post, “2015 Housing Prediction,” I poked fun at prognosticators who try to stand out from the crowd by seeing who can make the most audacious housing call. In fact, the housing market lends itself to two such forecasts: 1) calling the bottom; and 2) calling the top. In light of what appears...Read More
