From NorthJersey.com:
Is North Jersey’s rental market finally cooling down? How hot the market is so far in 2025
There’s no doubt about it: Finding an apartment, especially an affordable one, in North Jersey is a difficult feat. But believe it or not, it’s a feat that has eased up — if only slightly — during 2025.
In RentCafe’s recent Hottest Rental Markets report, it ranked the top 20 U.S. rental markets based on how competitive they were during the first quarter of 2025.
North Jersey, which has consistently been named among the nation’s top markets, didn’t rank in the report’s top five. In fact, for the first time in at least two years, it didn’t even make the report’s top 10.
Instead, North Jersey — with Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Sussex, Hudson and Union counties included in the report — was named as the nation’s 11th-most-competitive rental market during this time. That is compared with this time last year, when our region ranked third overall.
“Interestingly, North Jersey’s rental market has softened, as shown by a sharp year-over-year drop in its RCI score,” the report says.
Friskies
What drives rental demand? People growing up and moving out relative to people leaving rental for home ownership. I guess when home ownership is tougher, more people stay in the rental pool. Should have something to do with how many people are getting into early stage jobs versus mid-career jobs, how many people are deciding to have kids.
I only rented in NJ for a year or two when my wife and I first moved to the state. Short Hills in 98/99.
Lots of new rentals coming on line in Bergen Co. They just started another 20 unit development on Kinderkamack Rd.
From my feed on LinkedIn… post by Srini Pagidyala
Subprime AI crisis
“Since OpenAI unleashed ChatGPT on the world two and a half years ago, the company has operated at a substantial financial loss.
Despite raising at least $60.9 billion in private funding since ChatGPT’s public launch, OpenAI is leaking billions of dollars every year. In 2024, for example, the tech startup lost some $5 billion, per MSNBC. That doesn’t seem to bother OpenAI insiders, though, who hope to be bringing in $125 billion in annual revenue by 2029.
The gulf between OpenAI’s ambitions and its actual financial health reflect what tech critic Ed Zitron calls the “subprime AI crisis.”
Playing off the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007 — also known as the Great Recession — Zitron notes that AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic operate at a “massive loss,” and that the chickens are eventually going to come home to roost. Similar to 2007, when banks lent way more credit than they could ever hope to make back, Wall Street has bet billions hoping that OpenAI will miraculously continue to skyrocket in value.
Per Zitron, that idea isn’t exactly built on sound financial analysis as much as a frenzy of “magical thinking.”
“I hypothesize a kind of subprime AI crisis is brewing,” Zitron wrote, “where almost the entire tech industry has bought in on a technology sold at a vastly-discounted rate, heavily-centralized and subsidized by big tech. What happens when the entire tech industry relies on the success of a kind of software that only loses money, and doesn’t create much value to begin with?”
The answer to that rhetorical question, as it turns out, is widespread layoffs, price hikes, and the enshittification of software that relies on companies like OpenAI and Anthropic for their own infrastructure.
For example, the company Anysphere, which runs Cursor — an “AI code generator” based on Anthropic’s large language model (LLM) infrastructure — recently imposed a massive rate hike on its users, despite raising nearly $1 billion in funding back in June.
That’s got the company’s dedicated user base of software engineers and coders chuffed, to say the least. Following the hikes, they’ve flocked to social media to vent their frustration, flooding Reddit with posts titled “Cursor: pay more, get less, and don’t ask how it works” and “Cursor’s New Pricing Model Is Absolute Garbage.”
Per Zitron, “Anysphere is, despite getting $900 million in funding, running out of money, or at least believes that continuing to operate its business in a way it did less than a month ago would cause it to do so.”
Following the money upstream reveals the true source of the rate limits: pressure put on Anysphere by Anthropic’s own recent price hikes, the first of their kind, and a dark omen for things to come.
Zitron sums it up neatly: “There is no way this situation leads to the kind of growth that will make Anthropic and OpenAI profitable, sustainable businesses, and [this] will have the opposite effect on their revenues long-term.”
Probably due to more supply.
Some posters are always complaining about all the new apartments being built, but more supply leads to lower prices.
Some posters are always complaining about all the new apartments being built, but more supply leads to lower prices.
Yes. It’s madness. There are pods sprouting up like weeds everywhere. Investors and builders had this idea that as soon as it’s built, the ‘no vacancy’ sign would appear. Stop building so many boxes.
Re: “ more supply leads to lower prices”
The luxury crap boxes built by Toll Brothers near my home are selling for a cool million bucks These are townhomes that have cheap siding not even faux brick facades.
The forced it through via threats from the Fair Share Housing Center which helps developers blackmail towns with the threat of mount laurel lawsuits. Oh look they added “affordable”rental units..
Lower prices…ha!
So, how does a town decide a building is “affordable housing”? Is it the density of units or something else?
VIX sub 16. Whoa!
I’m getting a second shed built in the back yard. A 12×8 wood based. Just started on the foundation with a few inches above ground. The guy – who has done other handyman jobs for me is open to both a kit or getting all the materials a-la-carte.
The problem with kits from Home Depot or Lowes is that they are not readily available and take time for delivery. Self pickup is a problem with loading and unloading. Pre-built is not an option as I have a fence that I don’t want to rip apart for the project.
Looking at sites that offer plans with full materials needed.
“enshittification”
Hmmm.
Yes. It’s madness. There are pods sprouting up like weeds everywhere. Investors and builders had this idea that as soon as it’s built, the ‘no vacancy’ sign would appear. Stop building so many boxes.
My feeling is that developers who are spending their own money (and their investors money) on new housing units are probably more knowledgeable about what the market needs than politicians (or random guys on the internet).
When we did our deck, we just gave the materials list that I typed up based on the plans to the guys over at Maresca Lumber in Pequannock and they pulled and delivered everything for us. Was basically the same price as HD, but significantly higher quality.
Great read on the health care cuts.
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/medicaid-cuts-the-how-and-why
I purchased a galvanized steel shed on TEMU for $75. Put in an exhaust fan and a weatherproof lamp (also from Temu) for $50 more. It’s a smoker shed about 4 x 8. Screwed it down to the deck so no cement pad needed. If it gets too weathered, I’ll spend another $75.
Dang. Hell. Do Si Do. Rope ’em cowboys. We live, breathe, and eat football down here.
Y’all look out. We be huntin’ animals and Illegals. Ain’t got no stinkin’ time or money for this:
An internal report prepared by officials in the county hit worst by the Fourth of July Texas floods predicted such an event would occur this year, DailyMail can exclusively reveal.
The report also said the number one priority for saving lives in heavy floods was to ‘improve the delivery and effectiveness of warning messages’.
Most of those deaths were in Kerr County, which was home to Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian summer camp, where 27 deaths have been confirmed.
But the report, published just nine months ago in October 2024, shows officials knew of the dangers but dragged their feet when it came to doing anything about them.
Not only did the Kerr County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan explicitly note that a flood event was ‘likely’ in 2025 and ‘probable’ by 2027, it also accurately forecast the places most likely to be hit.
Grim, where did you get the plan from? Any specific source?
Is this real?
https://ia801203.us.archive.org/26/items/gov.uscourts.cacd.646485/gov.uscourts.cacd.646485.1.0.pdf
Oc1: I am not complaining, in fact I don t care. If they want to build them, they build them. I just think it is a step backwards. And, they do contribute to traffic and congestion too. And, they are ugly.
Oc1: Don’t be so sure that the random guys on the internet don t know more than some builder.
Juice: Who is paying (rhetorical) 1,000,000.00 for these crap boxes. When the poop hits the fan at some point are we going to have to bail them out with ultra low rates and modifications to their loans, because of the dream and all?
Buying VIX below $15 is something that’s worked for quite some time now.
Don’t be so sure that the random guys on the internet don t know more than some builder.
Builder’s putting his money where his mouth is!
As the saying goes- money talks, BS walks.
Just resurrect Obama. No one knows better to solve the problems of jingle mail, bank bail outs, and corrupt credit rating agencies.
Glass-Steagall repeal caused the first problem.
Dodd-Frank will initiate the second.
It’s coming, except with more potential energy behind it.
3b says:
July 9, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Juice: Who is paying (rhetorical) 1,000,000.00 for these crap boxes. When the poop hits the fan at some point are we going to have to bail them out with ultra low rates and modifications to their loans, because of the dream and all?
$100,000,000 don’t buy what it used to in 2016.
Unless it’s government favor you are purchasing.
I don’t understand why some long time homeowners are looking at the current market for high density housing in their area with contempt. (Mostly 3B and Fast Eddy.)
It really smacks of entitled boomer mentality. Why not just be grateful you bought at a good time and are able to come out way ahead? Instead, in typical boomer fashion, you’d gladly pull the ladder up behind you if there were a way to do so. Heaven forbid someone make you wait a few extra seconds at an intersection.
Honey! Hide your jewelry!! I think that family over there…they might be….oh god!!!! RENTERS!!! And I think I heard one speaking a foreign language!!!
And even if they bought the unit, you insinuate that doing so makes them financially irresponsible for doing so. They can’t win.
What would you do if you were just staring out with a young family and had the need to reside in the area due to family or a job?
The Fair Share Housing Act reads as if it was written by the villains of Atlas Shrugged. Like many pieces of NJ legislation and NJ Supreme Court decisions.
release e pstein list
Heaven forbid someone make you wait a few extra seconds at an intersection.
I have a German car, it’s my right and privilege to go first.
Trump threatens to take over NYC if Mamdani wins.
Exactly the stimulus Mamdani needs to win!
Honey! Hide your jewelry!! I think that family over there…they might be….oh god!!!! RENTERS!!! And I think I heard one speaking a foreign language!!!
Note to the neighborhood watch committee: Keep an eye on these immigrant muppets.
Tried getting a shed kit from Lowes for what seemed to be a decent deal for $1900. All the stores were showing inventory of just 1!
So, I walk in there and after being sent from one store guy to another they figured that these items are only in the parking lot fully assembled. I asked for delivery time and they sent me to the “pro” team. They would not give a delivery time until you filled in all the details… and at the last screen says it is $5000 something, with installation. I said I didnt want installation, so it took them another 15 minutes before they said that they these items only come with installation. And even so, you have to pay before they give you a delivery time.
I printed a detailed shed plan from Etsy after getting back home and will have the handyman buy the material tomorrow.
The foundation is almost done. If the materials don’t give me any problem, it should be done in a week. It’s a T&M project and the guy expects materials to cost about $700 to $1000, we will see.
Fixed it – “reads as if it was written by the author of Atlas Shrugged. ”
Long winded and meandering with endless meaningless monologues. In the end the whole premise while a cute concept is unsustainable and unworkable in real life.
When Atlas Shrugged comes up in here I always ask the question;
Who shovels $hit in the Gulch?
I got ChatGPT to sum this up for me. It does convey the same point in a more elegant manner.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, though written decades ago, presents a strikingly relevant message when applied to the current debate surrounding immigration and the labor force in America. In the novel, Rand imagines a dystopian world where the “men of the mind” — those who innovate and drive industries — eventually withdraw from a society that punishes their success and rewards mediocrity. As the great minds of industry disappear, the world around them collapses into chaos. In this sense, the novel can be seen as a critique of collectivist policies, but it also reveals an important truth that is being ignored by those currently in power: a society cannot function without a basic labor force.
Today, we are seeing the consequences of policies that disregard the importance of immigrants in maintaining the backbone of American industries. The ongoing immigration crackdown under the current administration has led to a shortage of workers in critical sectors such as agriculture and meatpacking. As a result, crops are left rotting in the fields, and packing plants are operating at reduced capacity. While the government continues its pursuit of deportations, it fails to address the reality that these industries rely heavily on both legal and illegal immigrant labor to function. The question remains: who is supposed to perform these necessary yet often dehumanizing tasks? If we follow the logic of Atlas Shrugged, the so-called “Galt’s Gulch” — the idealized sanctuary of the innovative and successful — would be devoid of those who actually sustain the material world.
Rand’s novel romanticizes the idea of a society where the best and the brightest are free to pursue their self-interest, but it overlooks a key point: the economy, and society at large, needs a functioning labor force to survive. The question of who will do the “meaningless jobs” that hold society together is glaringly absent from Rand’s narrative. In the book, the workers who are expected to perform these tasks are not the ones invited into the utopian “Gulch.” They are often discarded, left to fend for themselves in a system that ultimately collapses because it fails to recognize the interdependence of all roles within a functioning society.
Moreover, one of the most striking criticisms of Atlas Shrugged is its endless, meandering monologues. While Rand’s prose might be admired by some, the long, repetitive speeches — often filled with self-righteous tirades about individualism and objectivism — detract from the novel’s overall impact. These endless lectures on philosophy, though intended to champion the ideals of self-reliance and capitalism, often feel disconnected from the very practical realities that make a society work. It’s as though Rand’s characters, lost in their ideological purity, fail to recognize that the world is not just about idealized visions of greatness; it’s about the collective, often mundane, work that keeps everything running.
In conclusion, while Atlas Shrugged may offer valuable insights into the dangers of collectivism and the importance of personal liberty, it fails to address the very human need for a labor force that sustains a functioning society. In the real world, where crops rot and industries falter because there are not enough hands to do the work, the lessons of Rand’s novel seem at odds with the reality on the ground. A society built solely on the ideals of individualism, without recognizing the essential roles played by all members — especially those at the bottom of the economic ladder — is one that is doomed to fall apart, much like the world Rand describes in her book.
Hopefully one of Musk’s minions has it on a thumb drive.
VSG says:
July 9, 2025 at 3:34 pm
release e pstein list
Atlas Shrugged is garbage just like the bible.
RL
What kind of plan do you need for a tiny shed?
A framer could do that without thinking.
I built one from scratch without a drawing.
The only thing, if it’s just a box, that really affects the price is the floor and the siding.
I built the floor strong, as I had a small backhoe to park in it.
It’s still standing.
“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.”
If people vote, their vote should count. Them’s the rules.
This type of talk is extremely disturbing.
RentL0rd says:
July 9, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Trump threatens to take over NYC if Mamdani wins.
4:35, If I was doing it all myself I probably would chalk a plan and buy some material as I go and start off. But with this handyman, if I’m not clear with the instructions, he’s going to do it his way. He’s experienced and I trust him, but I wanted a plan more as a communication tool. Nothing more exciting than building something yourself.. which I don’t have the luxury of right now!
If you went last, there would be no one behind you in a 25 year old Japanese car to pick you up when that German crap breaks down on you.
White Trash Eddie says:
July 9, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Heaven forbid someone make you wait a few extra seconds at an intersection.
I have a German car, it’s my right and privilege to go first.
Hughes and Lib – thanks for your note about insurance for the windshield. I have a safelite guy coming on Friday. It won’t be OEM, but with a $50 deductible, beats going to a dealer or pay out of pocket.
Ohhhhhh
Juday, Juuuday, Judaaay. Does the lord and the bible sayteth that God wants you to do this? Did God preach this from up on high and tell all of his disciples to kill gay people.
I watched a video where a couple of religious individuals were screaming at a tornato summoning it to vanish like a spell from Harry Potter.
Mabye there was something in that Covid shot after all.
A Florida councilwoman has been suspended over allegations she shared a slew of hateful social media posts, including racist remarks against Barack Obama and a method to kill gay people.
Judith Fike, a Groveland council member since October 2024, has been temporarily removed as the city investigates vile social media remarks she allegedly posted.
RentL0rd says:
Still have the Paslode I built it with. Don’t use it much anymore.
Just remember, Crown up, Crown out.
July 9, 2025 at 4:45 pm
4:35, If I was doing it all myself I probably would chalk a plan and buy some material as I go and start off. But with this handyman, if I’m not clear with the instructions, he’s going to do it his way. He’s experienced and I trust him, but I wanted a plan more as a communication tool. Nothing more exciting than building something yourself.. which I don’t have the luxury of right now!
Tornado.
Oopsy.
Juuuuday.
That isn’t nice.
‘From using the n-word to bashing the LQBTQ+ community and trivializing tragedies like Pulse [nightclub shooting],’ Gaines said, in reference to the 2016 mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando which killed 49 people.
‘It would have been easier to take the people from the Pulse nightclub, it would have been easier to push them off the roof,’ Gaines read aloud, allegedly quoting Fike.
Gaines also stood up to show community members screenshots of a post allegedly depicting Ronald Reagan ‘babysitting’ Obama.
‘Except, [Obama] is a monkey,’ Gaines told the small audience referencing the image allegedly shared by Fike.
In Galt’s Gulch, everyone works, and there is no class division in the traditional sense. The inhabitants are individuals who are highly skilled and productive in their respective fields (inventors, artists, businessmen, etc.) who have “gone on strike” from the collectivist society.
While the specific details of who does every “menial job” aren’t exhaustively detailed, the underlying philosophy of Galt’s Gulch is that individuals are responsible for their own lives and contribute based on their abilities and desires. When Dagny Taggart arrives, she volunteers to be a maid to John Galt to earn her keep, demonstrating that even those who were once high-ranking executives are willing to perform any necessary labor to maintain their freedom and self-sufficiency. The idea is that work, regardless of its nature, is valued when it is a conscious, productive choice.
the underlying philosophy of Galt’s Gulch is that individuals are responsible for their own lives and contribute based on their abilities and desires.
Then why do people form groups and lobby politicians?
Where is the individuality in that?
If one truly believed in individualism, they wouldn’t approve of lobbyists.
That would be Janus faced.
Galt’s gulch seems to have several flaws. It assumes everyone is productive, at all times.
Your first 20 – 25 years of your life you exist because of others’ support. And similarly the last 25 if you live to a 100. And in between you have incidents that make humans unique in their own way – make ups, break ups, kids, health, wealth..
To simplify and retreat to a mountain with the most productive members is grossly selfish and impractical for any society.
Ancient hinduism offers something similar – a caste system. A system where everyone does what they are good at and not cross the lines. And we know how repressive such a culture can be in modern day.
Bob:I don’t look at high density housing with contempt, in fact and as I have said, I think it’s a step backwards for people. High density housing is being built all over north Jersey, on the side of highways, in shopping mall parking lots, on busy streets, backing up to warehouses, in flood zones and the list goes on. Perhaps, you think it’s progress like OC1 does, maybe it is, and that’s just the way it is now.
Bob: A family just starting out and buying a 1,000,000.00 apartment? And, I do have a problem with those people that do make reckless financial decisions, as we all pay for them, like we did after the financial crisis/ housing bust in 2007/08.
Gary I was one of those that read it at around 14 I thought it was complete garbage.
Again here is the power of AI. You put your thoughts in a well formed prompt and your main job is curate the output.
It’s worth diving deeper into some of the philosophical contradictions that come up when applying Rand’s vision of an ideal society to practical realities.
First, if Dagny Taggart is successful in the outside world, running the best railroad in the world, why would she need to become a maid in Galt’s Gulch to “earn her keep”? The answer seems to imply that in Galt’s Gulch, even the most highly skilled individuals must perform menial tasks as a form of self-sufficiency, but this raises several questions. If Dagny is an expert in railroads and heavy industry — industries that don’t exist in Galt’s Gulch — what role does she play? Her skills, while impressive and valuable in the outside world, seem largely irrelevant in a society that doesn’t seem to require such work. This suggests that Galt’s Gulch isn’t about creating a society where all contributions are equally valued, but rather a place where people with specialized, high-level skills gather together in an environment that doesn’t demand their specific talents.
This leads to the next point: Who defines “productive”? If Dagny volunteers to be a maid, we have to ask, is she actually productive at it? Is someone who is not particularly good at a job still considered valuable in this society? If Dagny’s maid skills aren’t up to par, how does Galt, or anyone else in the Gulch, define whether she’s truly “earned her keep”? This opens the door to some uncomfortable implications: what happens when someone’s abilities don’t align with what society needs? Can someone be genuinely self-sufficient if they can’t contribute in a meaningful, practical way?
The concept of “earning your keep” in Galt’s Gulch is also worth questioning. In the novel, it seems to be synonymous with self-sufficiency, but if Galt — who is portrayed as the ultimate self-made man — needs a maid, then why does he require help? Doesn’t hiring someone to perform a menial task go against the idea of total self-reliance? It almost mirrors the very collectivism Rand so vehemently criticizes, as it suggests a mutual dependence that doesn’t align with the philosophy of radical individualism. Galt, in essence, is acting as though he is not fully self-sufficient, but rather someone who depends on the labor of others to maintain his lifestyle, a contradiction to the very ideals of personal autonomy and independence that Rand advocates for.
Finally, what happens to those in Galt’s Gulch who are unable to “earn their keep”? If someone is unable to perform any kind of meaningful labor, whether due to lack of skill, ability or sickness, are they cast aside? Are they banished from the community? If everyone is supposed to be self-sufficient and responsible for their own lives, does that mean there’s no place for anyone who cannot contribute? This introduces an uncomfortable question: if we value self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, how does one reconcile the inherent human need for cooperation, compassion, and sometimes, collective support? What happens when personal capacity is limited, and how does Galt’s Gulch handle that?
In conclusion, while Atlas Shrugged espouses the idea of radical individualism, self-reliance, and personal responsibility, it doesn’t fully account for the complexities of real-world systems or the nuances of human interdependence. When you dig deeper into the mechanics of Galt’s Gulch, it becomes clear that even in a utopian world of highly skilled, self-sufficient individuals, contradictions emerge that complicate the ideal of self-sufficiency. Ultimately, Rand’s vision of a perfectly independent society seems increasingly difficult to reconcile with the realities of human nature and the necessities of cooperation.
Why is Orange man in Brazil’s business? We went from supporting democratic values in the rest of the world to promoting dictatorships.
Elections can’t come sooner!
I never read Galt’s Gulch, but I’ve been to Glitter Gulch. I learned a lot there.
…but if Galt — who is portrayed as the ultimate self-made man — needs a maid, then why does he require help?
Why does he even need oxygen? Isn’t he magically super human? Why didn’t Rand write a 5,000 page novel outlining the water and sewer system mechanics? Was there electric? If not, who chopped the wood? Did they have Pepto Bismol? Come on, Rand! Was there a typo on page 237? Maybe we should scour it closely? Maybe we need to read a book on communal utopia and admire how every morsel of detail is painstakingly explained. Maybe the Rayhan Mandumi administration will illustrate it beautifully before our very eyes. Maybe Mandami will rename New York to Metropolis and unite the workers and evil elites as one!