A number of you took issue with my data-backed claim that foreclosures are proceeding in a normal, orderly fashion and shadow inventory is a non-issue in the Seattle area. Your main objection seems to be based on a belief that there are large numbers of homes with mortgages that the borrower has stopped paying months…
Category: Opinion
Opinion, commentary, etc.
The Guardian Needs a New Finance & Economics Editor
Somehow I was directed this week to a recent opinion column by the Guardian’s “US finance and economics editor” Heidi Moore: Don’t be fooled by the false economic recovery Obviously, I love a good contrarian argument. Unfortunately, this piece is far from good. Take the consumer confidence numbers, which are measured every month by the…
Foreclosures Benefit a Neighborhood, Not Hurt It
Many articles, papers, and opinion pieces have been written about the detrimental effects that foreclosures can have on a neighborhood. For example, foreclosures in your neighborhood allegedly lower home values, increase crime, and make refinancing harder for homeowners who live nearby. While these studies and stories may be technically accurate, their focus is too narrow…
Are Obama & Romney Avoiding Housing to Avoid Talking About Killing the Mortgage Interest Deduction?
There is one major political topic that has been mysteriously absent from both major presidential campaigns during this year’s presidential election season… housing. Nick Timiraos noted this in the Wall Street Journal in early September. Here we are in late October, four debates later, and nothing has really changed. Barely a peep about housing from…
Dear Marketers: I Don’t Care About Your Press Release
Fair warning, this post doesn’t have anything to do with Seattle real estate, it’s just a random rant tangentially related to the work I do on this site. Dear marketers, Congratulations. You’ve located a popular, well-read site with frequently updated content and an engaged user base. Unfortunately, while you have demonstrated a basic proficiency in…