Hurricane Sandy made it painfully clear how fragile a city composed mostly of low-lying islands can be, and that reality has put New Yorkers in an uncharacteristically insecure mood. The New York Times expressed these anxieties …
Real Estate
The Pessimist’s Guide to Surviving the Fiscal Cliff
Whatever the budget deal, it probably won’t be able to prevent sluggish growth and the risk of rising inflation.
A Recovering Housing Market is Great News for Too-Big-To-Fail Banks
There was more good news coming out of the housing market yesterday, with the Commerce Department announcing that new residential construction projects, called housing starts, increased by 15% in September compared to the prior
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More Signs of Strength in Housing: Does Bernanke Get the Credit?
It’s an election season cliché to forewarn an ideological opponent that he is not entitled to his own facts. But when it comes to the economy, it would seem one is entitled to his own facts. Or to be more precise, that there …
Home Sales, Prices Rise: Is Housing Finally Ready to Lead a Recovery?
During each of the previous three recessions, the American economy was powered back to full strength largely on the back of the housing market. There are many ways in which this recession and recovery are unique, but the lack of …
Five Reasons It Could Be the Opportunity of a Lifetime to Buy a House
It’s cheaper to buy than rent in almost every major U.S. housing market, and over the long term home prices appear likely to rise substantially.
Four Years After Bailout, We’re No Closer to a Coherent Housing Policy
Last week marked the fourth anniversary of the federal government’s takeover of the government-sponsored entities (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And while the Wall Street and auto industry bailouts get the most attention, …
Why Isn’t There More Inflation?
Huge deficits and ultra-low interest rates should have led to serious inflation by now. The great mystery of the past three years is why they haven’t.
9 Reasons Why This Economy Feels So Bad
The recent slump has been unusually painful, and the feeble recovery has been disappointing. But today’s economy seems even worse than it actually is
Why is Ed DeMarco Blocking a Win-Win Housing Program?
Widespread principal reduction for underwater homes has long been the Holy Grail for many observers of the housing market, as well as for those who believe the weak housing market is one of the heaviest burdens weighing on the …
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley’s Plan to Get Homeowners Treading Water
There have been some positive signs for the housing market lately, with many saying that real estate has finally hit bottom. The end of relentlessly falling real estate prices will have a positive effect on the economy by …
Every American Is Experiencing a Different Economy
You don’t have a real economic recovery until the majority of Americans are participating — and right now they aren’t
