One of the difficult things to do in the current land/land development market is to forecast when absorption of space (residential, industrial, commercial) will allow for development of new projects.  Land has been the biggest loser in the real estate recession, losing in some cases as much as 95% of its value.  Land is worth [...]

Wisaac has added some thoughtful comments on this site recently and I thought this comment on the tax credit was smart:
Great Post, but I do have some points I would like to add.
1) I think the insertion that the government picks winners and loser is a bit too generalized. I think policy-makers look for two [...]

The functioning of government is unavoidably about picking winners.  For every government action, there are likely to be winners and losers.  If you prop up the domestic automakers, it is good for their employees (winners), but probably not as good for the employees of the foreign automakers or the people who have stock in the [...]

This is what we call a positive trend.  Or maybe a silver lining.  Or maybe lemonade out of lemons.

Two of the comments to my recent post on REO sales mentioned the often talked about “shadow inventory”.  This would be inventory that banks are sitting on and not selling.  I am intrigued by this question of shadow inventory because I think there is an element of conspiracy theory implicit in the notion that banks [...]

Hopefully the housing bulls like this one.  I like for this site to be a veritable trail mix of real estate commentary.  A little of something for everyone.  Housing bulls, here are your M&M’s.
I compiled information for the past year’s re-sales in three Inland California cities to determine if sale type mix tells us anything [...]

The following post was originally published on the site Real Estate Economy Watch.  It is being re-published here with permission from Steve Cook of Real Estate Economy Watch.
www.realestateeconomywatch.com
Even if the disappointingly slow Federal foreclosure program achieves the goals for which it was designed, the foreclosure crisis could be as bad in three years as it [...]

From Real Estate Economy Watch
At Congressional hearings this week, Assistant Treasury Secretary Michael Barr reported that only 85,000 homeowners have actually completed loan modifications six months after the program’s launch March 4.  An additional 360,000 are enrolled in three-month trial loan modifications to determine if they can stay current on the new, reduced payment schedule.  [...]

I am writing this letter to thank you for the homebuyer tax credit that is putting a charge into the housing market in 2009, and which you are paying for.  I’m sure in the future you have other pressing issues that might require the money that was spent on the homebuyer tax credit, and judging [...]