Here are a few quotes from newspaper articles in October, November, and December about the housing market: October [A]: “I fully expect things to pick up the first part of the year.” Although the pace of sales has slowed, there are no clear indications that overall prices are going to decline, real estate analysts say….
Pacific NW a "Rare Exception" (for now…)
I’m surprised that neither the Times nor the P-I chose to reprint this Associated Press article from yesterday: With few exceptions, Western real estate expected to stagnate. Why would they print an article with such a sullen headline? Because the Pacific Northwest is heralded as the “rare exception,” of course. Although few experts predict home…
Seattle-Area Home Prices "Likely to Decline"
My jaw dropped in amazement when I read this headline in my inbox yesterday: House prices likely to decline. Granted, it was a Q & A column in the Everett Herald, not a headline news item in the Seattle Times (which would have probably made me faint), but still, it’s nice to see an admission…
Wet November Weather FTW!
Now that November’s numbers are out, let’s see what the local dead tree press has to say about it. First up, Ms. Rhodes at the Times delivers just what we’ve come to expect; a small dose of reality topped with a heaping helping of positive spin, lame excuses, and bubble denial: More Western Washington homes…
November: Inventory & Sales Trends Continue
The November NWMLS statistics have been published, and overall they came in pretty close to what I predicted a week ago. Here are the vital statistics for King County, along with my predictions: [Statistic: Predicted, Actual]Med. Closed Price (Res): $435,000, $435,000Med. Closed Price (Condo): $260,000, $272,950Active Listings (Res): 7,250, 7,040Pending Sales (Res): 2,000, 1,985 As…