Housing

There has been a deluge of articles recently about the upticks in the housing data...[yet, while] I do not dispute the improvement in the data regarding home starts, permits, pending sales, etc.,... [see graph below] these data points are still mired at very depressed levels so the assumption is that if home building is stabilizing then it is only a function of time until home prices began to rise as well. Right? Not so fast.. [Let me explain.] Words: 1100

The following charts indicate relative performance of US home prices in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Miami to Canadian home prices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. US home prices are reflected in Canadian dollars for comparison purposes. Words: 240

Canada, France and Switzerland stood alone among nine markets measured in recording annual price gains, based on second-quarter data, with inflation-adjusted price increases of 5%, 5% and 4%, respectively, compared to declines of 6% in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, 10% in Spain and 14% in Ireland. In fact, Canada's home prices have escalated 44% since 2005 - with a high of 68% in Vancouver - and they are up 7.7% in the past 12 months! Words: 1244

According to both the Case Shiller and RadarLogic indices housing prices have been essentially flat for the past 2 years after having fallen by a third from their 2006/7 highs. [That being said, surely we can now rule out another collapse, can't we? Words: 764

As bad as the housing crisis has been over the past three years, it has only been a warm up to what we have headed our way... [In fact,] the forecast is horrific, to say the least!28% of US homeowners already owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth [and]... 27% of American homeowners are considering walking away from their mortgage...This is going to significantly drive home prices further down. [Let's look at the details.] Words: 657

3%! Simply amazing. 3% isn’t even close to serious. If you are only able or willing to put down 3% you simply aren’t serious about homeownership. It’s laughable...yet by 2007 40% of all mortgages had less than 3% downpayments...Evidence is now pouring in...that the financial crisis of 2008 was nearly exclusively created by government’s misguided interventions and manipulations of the housing market. [Let me explain further.] Words: 671

Yes, you read that right; get ready for the next housing boom. You're probably thinking, "How could that be with all the mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures going on, and the record levels of housing inventory? Well, it's not going to happen soon - [probably] not for several more years - but it's coming. [Let me explain to you why it is inevitable.] Words: 589

The rat-through-the-snake process of working down existing and prospective distressed properties is likely far from over, and how that process plays out will no doubt have an impact on how much housing prices will ultimately adjust. [Let's take a look at some differing points of view in that regard.] Words: 497

When a home owner is forced into foreclosure, the case is presented to a judge for approval. Historically, if uncontested, a foreclosure has quickly led to a judgment in favor of the bank - to evict the owner and confiscate the property. However, in the last few years a growing number of homeowners have been contesting the foreclosures and demanding proof of the note - or ownership of the mortgage - and, in many cases, the note can't be located by the bank. [As such,] the foreclosures are not being approved due to lack of documentation. Words: 719

The housing crash is still in process and here are 10 reasons why it is still a terrible time to buy. Words: 1670