Week Links - February 8, 2008

A handful of real estate-related (or not) links affecting the Portland market (or not):

Congress Passes Economic Stimulus Package
The President is expected to sign it quickly. Besides tax rebates, the plan also includes higher conforming (i.e. government-insured) loan rates of up to 125% of the area’s median home price. (Current conforming loans are limited to $417,000.)

It’s unknown how much, if any, impact this will have on the local real estate market. Larry Morris of EquiPoint weighs in with his analysis. Perhaps it will have more impact on California buyers, and therefore, free up some California sellers looking to move to Oregon (a traditional source of local real estate activity).

Wall St. Journal covers Portland Teardown
Did you know a Wall Street Journal contributor is writing an ongoing diary of her effort to tear down and build a new home inside the Portland city limits? (I didn’t.) Here’s the latest entry.

Buena Vista Auction - Part Deux
Some of the leftovers from the 1st Buena Vista auction, plus some buildable lots, are going under the gavel again March 8.

Round House
Very cool house in NY, but I would have liked some coverage about the mechanicals that turn the house, and not a shot of the urinal. (Courtesy of the Zillow Blog.)

And, now for something really different…

Frozen in Time
What happens if over 200 people suddenly and instantly freeze in place in the middle of Grand Central Station?

From the same people that brought you the No Pants Subway Ride of 2008.

Technorati Tags: economy, stimulus, real estate, round, house, Portland, Oregon

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