Monthly Archives: July 2006

From the Globe and Mail: Merrill economist sees U.S. downturn in May Grab a red pen and circle May, 2007, on your calendar. That month is full of foreboding for the U.S. economy, according to Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. … Continue reading →

Posting this one up because I think it’s important for readers to understand the dynamics behind appraisal fraud. Hat Tip to the Housing Bubble Blog for the link. From the Wall Street Journal (via AZCentral): New issue for homeowners: Inflated … Continue reading →

This one comes to us from Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture: New, More Stringent Rules on Option ARMs and Interest-only Loans “We got to musing on the extraordinary deliberateness … while reading a recent “policy report” put out by … Continue reading →

Lowball! takes a look at home sales over the past week from a very different perspective. For those new to Lowball!, a lowball offer is when a buyer offers a significantly lower bid than asking in hopes that the seller … Continue reading →

From the Record: Record series touched a raw nerve, pro and con By BOB IVRY People are angry. Very angry. Taxpayers are fed up with high property taxes. Cops and teachers are frustrated with being blamed. Runaway Pay, The Record’s … Continue reading →

From the APP: Readers say taxes may force them to leave N.J. Nearly three-quarters of those participating in an online poll say that high taxes and a shaky economy might force them out of the state. “Are you considering leaving … Continue reading →

From the New York Times: Re-Refinancing, and Putting Off Mortgage By VIKAS BAJAJ and RON NIXON It is the latest twist in the gravity-defying world of the high housing prices and exotic low-rate mortgages: As monthly payments on adjustable-rate mortgages … Continue reading →

From the Asbury Park Press: Feeling the pinch BY DAVID P. WILLIS For now, Stephen and Jaime Dane are living in a summer rental in Avon. Their new four-bedroom home at K. Hovnanian Homes’ Manors at Metedeconk development in Jackson … Continue reading →

From the Daily Record: Dover redevelopment up for hearing BY TIEN-SHUN LEE New condominiums, retail shops, and recreational or cultural space is planned for the Bassett Highway redevelopment project, which will be the subject of a public hearing at town … Continue reading →

Lowball! takes a look at home sales over the past week from a very different perspective. For those new to Lowball!, a lowball offer is when a buyer offers a significantly lower bid than asking in hopes that the seller … Continue reading →

I’ve received a number of emails lately, which all asked the same question. If people are boycotting open houses, and not placing bids, how are sellers supposed to know that their homes are overpriced? It’s a good question. Unless the … Continue reading →

From the New York Times: Echoing the Upper West Side THE first condominium tower in the 80-acre Liberty Harbor North redevelopment area is now going up alongside a new light rail stop and the commuter ferry terminal at Pier 11 … Continue reading →

From the Hudson Reporter: 1,000+ new neighbors Ground was broken Tuesday for two 500-foot skyscrapers, including 1,000 new condominiums and apartments, to rise at 77 Hudson St. near the waterfront. The new project by K. Hovnanian Homes and Equity Residential … Continue reading →

Observations about your local areas, comments on news stories or the New Jersey housing bubble, Open House reports, etc. If you have any questions you wanted to ask earlier in the week but never posted them up, let’s have them. … Continue reading →

From the L.A. Times: Housing Expert: ‘Soft Landing’ Off Mark Leslie Appleton-Young is at a loss for words. The chief economist of the California Assn. of Realtors has stopped using the term “soft landing” to describe the state’s real estate … Continue reading →