Category Archives: Economics

Why NJ is f*cked

Posted on September 10, 2019 by grim

From the Star Ledger: N.J. is facing a $1.2B public-worker pension time bomb In the waning days of his administration, Gov. Chris Christie left his successor Phil Murphy a parting gift, of sorts. For years, New Jersey had assumed its public pension fund would … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics, Property Taxes, Unrest | 85 Comments

Millennials want homes?

Posted on September 6, 2019 by grim

From CNBC: Older millennials are driving home prices higher again They may have waited longer than previous generations, but millennials are now showing a strong desire to become homeowners, especially older millennials. That is strengthening overall demand for the limited … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, National Real Estate | 58 Comments

Millennials – Still no home for you

Posted on September 2, 2019 by grim

From Curbed: Sorry, millennials: A recession won’t help you buy a house The 2008 financial crisis brought the global economy to its knees and sent American home prices into freefall. For anyone who managed to hang on to their job, savings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Foreclosures, National Real Estate | 84 Comments

June Case Shiller

Posted on August 30, 2019 by grim

From Inman: Home price gains continue to slow down in June: Case-Shiller Annual home price gains continued to slow in June, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, released Tuesday. Home prices, on average, achieved an … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate | 58 Comments

Married – House – Kids – No More

Posted on August 27, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire: Harvard: First-time homebuyers are changing The profile of first-time homebuyers in the U.S. is changing, according to researchers at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. In a paper titled “The Shifting Profile of First-Time Homebuyers: 1997-2017,” researchers found … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate | 120 Comments

Insanity

Posted on August 25, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire: Appraisals may soon not be required on certain home sales of $400,000 and under Certain home sales of $400,000 and under may soon not need an appraisal, as federal regulators are close to approving a proposal to increase … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Foreclosures, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 44 Comments

Look at the bright side America, you can afford to live in Detroit

Posted on August 21, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire: These are the nation’s most affordable housing markets for middle-class families The era of unusually affordable housing has ended, meaning America’s housing affordability has returned to average historical levels. While this means homes are no longer cheap on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, National Real Estate | 147 Comments

Good Times in NJ?

Posted on August 19, 2019 by grim

From the APP: What recession worries? NJ jobless rate at record low, employers scrounge New Jersey’s job market was flat in July, but even if employers were in hiring mode, they’d have a tough time finding workers to fill the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate | 106 Comments

Will Murphy own this?

Posted on August 16, 2019 by grim

From InsiderNJ: GSI Analysis: NJ’s Workforce and Revenue Results Are True Indicators of the State of Our Economy “While a declining unemployment rate is good news, our workforce remaining below 2008 levels is one sign there’s more than meets the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 42 Comments

Don’t Fear The Reaper (or maybe you should)

Posted on August 15, 2019 by grim

From CNBC: More signs point to a softer housing market, even as mortgage rates fall Homebuilders and buyers alike are pulling back, even as mortgage rates fall to multiyear lows. The housing market is simply too pricey, and consumers are … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Housing Bubble, National Real Estate | 39 Comments

Snap back to reality

Posted on August 14, 2019 by grim

From Mortgage Professional America: Homeowners are getting really good at valuing their homes The gap between the value homeowners put on their refinance mortgage applications and the value assessed by professional appraisers has narrowed for the third straight month. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 38 Comments

School rules

Posted on August 13, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire: Half of homebuyers with kids base purchase on school district Purchasing a home is one of the biggest decisions a person can make during their lifetime. After all, where you live determines many factors about your life, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, National Real Estate | 50 Comments

We are so f&cked

Posted on August 8, 2019 by grim

From NJ Spotlight: AS MURPHY TAKES BOW FOR RECORD LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, CRITICS FEAR FUTURE SHOCK How much have Gov. Phil Murphy’s policies to do with the state’s unemployment rate, which recently dropped to the lowest level on record? A whole … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics | 42 Comments

No impact?

Posted on August 5, 2019 by grim

From NJ1015: NO MELTDOWN: NJ HOME VALUES RISE, DESPITE FEARS OF TAX LAW When federal tax law was changed a year and a half ago, alarms were rung by the real-estate industry warning it would be a gut punch to … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics, Property Taxes | 247 Comments

Hope you’ve got a good house number

Posted on August 2, 2019 by grim

From HousingWire: Why Some Home Prices Simply Don’t Make Sense Psychologists often point out that people are torn between two minds, the rational and the instinctual. This makes the job of an economist a difficult one — market behavior would … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Humor | 63 Comments