Week Links - May 9, 2008
A random collection of recent real estate news notes, articles, and updates:
Bad MLS Photo of the Day
A jaw-droppingly horrifying, actual MLS photo found on a listing in Southern California. You just have to see it.
Sell your house by owner, by auction, or…by writing contest
A $1.25M Florida plantation to be given to the winner of a writing contest. For a $200 entry fee. Oh, and just 6,250 entries needed. (Found by AgentGenius)
Why Did the Mortgage Crisis Happen?
Local economist and writer Bill Conerly starts a 5-part series at his Businomics blog. Interesting reading and brief, so not too overwhelming. His topics:
- The Great Moderation and the benign housing cycle of the 2001 recession, which made real estate appear to be safe
- Securitization, which changed the funders from lenders to investors, while making the products too complex for most anyone to understand.
- With these two factors in place, the mortgage crisis evolved from the last recession.
- What to expect next time round.
He’s a little more bullish on forecasts than many, as written here and here.
CNN/Money highlights real estate slowing in Portland and other ‘bulletproof’ cities
Seattle, Charlotte are not immune, either
The Party’s Over
So says a sobering report by the Oregon Business Magazine.
Finally,
Phone book deliveries must cease
I say AMEN, brother! One copy per year, ok, but does anyone else think eight phone books a year is a waste?
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2 comments May 9th, 2008
