Housing Market
There are two key variables that continue to hamper the country’s economic renewal—the housing market and jobs growth. Unfortunately, while both are showing some encouraging signs, I feel it will still be several years before we see sustained strength in both. Without jobs or the confidence of getting…
I was in Miami last weekend and realtor after realtor was telling me that the biggest condo building bust in history has bottomed out and is rebounding with the U.S. housing market. Buyers are snapping up properties, one-third of them paying cash, and the best deals are gone.…
Christmas is still three months away, but you know retailers are nervous about the ability of consumers to want to spend. How consumers spend will likely tell us how the economy will fare in 2012 and will help to drive the stock market. With consumer spending accounting for…
I still feel that the most important news investors should be listening to is from corporations themselves. They are the enterprises, not government, and therefore they are the drivers of earnings growth. The fact of the matter is that we are in the age of austerity, and we…
As I have been saying, housing continues to be a cesspool for capital. The latest reading from the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index of 20 major metropolitan areas in the United States continues to show declines, which, in my economic analysis, is not good. What makes the situation that…
If you are a buyer, the current housing market continues to afford good opportunities, whether as a principal residence or as an investment property. If you are looking for beachfront housing in Florida, there may not be a better time than to buy now. But then the housing…
If you are a buyer, the current housing market continues to afford good opportunities, whether as a principal residence or as an investment property. If you are looking for beachfront housing in Florida, there may not be a better time to buy than now. But then the housing…
This year will mark the worst for the U.S. housing market, as foreclosures rise and prices fall. But don’t expect prices to climb back up anytime soon. Let’s start by looking at the stark facts: About seven million mortgages in the U.S. are now in the “late payment”…
The number of nails needed for the housing market’s coffin box has yet to be finalized. Consider just some of these startling numbers and trends: The median price of a resale home in the U.S. fell 5.2% in February 2011 to $156,100 (the lowest level since April 2002)…
So this is what the American dream has come down to: if you want to buy a house these days, you pay cash. Some say it was President Carter that started the dream, “every American should be able to own a home.” Others say it was Bill Clinton’s…
We have been hearing how the housing market is improving and how it is time to jump in and buy housing stocks. Sounds optimistic, but do not be fooled by the cheerleading. In my view, housing continues to be a cesspool for capital. Yes the housing market is…
If you are a buyer, the current housing market continues to afford good opportunities, whether as a principal residence or as an investment property. If you are looking for beachfront housing in Florida, there may not be a better time than to buy now. Then again, the housing…
Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned capitalism? Several days ago, Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court voided the foreclosure of two homes by Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE/WFC) and U.S. Bancorp (NYSE/USB), because the court says the banks failed to show they owned the mortgages at the time of foreclosure. You…
Many Americans facing foreclosures on their homes are starting to believe they may not have to leave their homes, because questions have arisen as of late about lenders and whether they have followed all the foreclosure rules. If they have not, then seizures may be halted until the…
