Cement woes continue
Inman News: An association of cement companies in the United States and Canada estimates that cement consumption should increase 3 percent tin 2005 to a new record of 123.4 million metric tons.That translates to about 112 million tons, or about 272.05 billion pounds. Another way…
Bubble article
Americans who have owned their homes for the past few years have a lot of equity in their homes: $9.62 trillion worth at the end of last year, up 13{070c63b32385cb02f7cc6b293bb2e967f577fefea717b7fffc8dc882e4751d49} from a year earlier, according to the Fed's tally. Even if house prices fall a…
“Envy” fuels real estate bubble talk
With all the bubble talk of late, this was a refreshing analysis from Lou Barnes at Inman News. The financial press is now on official Bubble Watch; CNBC might as well have a bubble ticker scrolling along with stock prices, and the Wall Street Journal…
St. Joseph Statue helps sell houses?
Who would have thought that burying, upside down, a small figurine of St. Joseph would speed the sale of a home? Who knew that a little plastic or ivory statue could possess such power? Evidently, real estate agents and homeowners throughout the country have known…
Sunday’s WSJ
If you're moving this summer, get enough insurance in case the truck hits a pothole along the way. There's a pretty good chance it might. One in five consumers moving across state borders files a loss or damage claim with the mover, according to the…
And you thought our market was bad!
Excellent Investment Opportunity!: Charming 2BR, 2BA home in a rapidly-appreciating neighborhood backs to dedicated parkland and stream. Recent family room addition boasts hardwood floors, as do living room and the kitchen. Surrounding homes slated for rebuilding w/ lovely, new townhouses. This property will be sold…
Designer matchmakers
Coincidentally, I spoke to somebody interested in this service just yesterday. I expect that this article will be posted as a free link soon, but in the meantime - here is a temporary link. (Edit - Permalink here) Finding true love is one thing, but…
Wine laws struck down
From the WSJ - link good for 7 days. The Supreme Court struck down state laws that restricted direct sales across state lines by wineries to consumers, setting the stage for a wider industry shakeup and giving a boost to small vineyards seeking to sell…
Home prices continue upward
RealEstateJournal | Sales Trends: Sales of existing homes continued at a strong pace in the first quarter, while home-sale prices were higher across most metropolitan areas, according to a new survey. I will pull the local Charlottesville region data and post it soon ...
New York Blogging
I am in New York City until Wednesday, so blogging will be quite limited. This City provides an interesting perspective on real estate. More thoughts later ...