Here are two things that can be done right away to help the economy: Republican economist Douglas Holtz-Eaken says one thing we can do right away is repurpose wireless spectrum: For this reason, as a part of the 2009 National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission is working towards making 500 megahertz of additional spectrum [...]
The Looming Rental Boom, Cont’d.
July 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Time to check in on the hypothesis that the fundamentals point to a rental/condo boom in urban housing. Here’s rental vacancy rates: Bill McBride comments: A record low number of multi-family units will be completed this year (2011). Only 8,700 apartments came on the market in Q1 (in the Reis survey area). This is the [...]
Ruggles Introduces Plan to Fine Vacant Property Owners in Easton
July 12, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Edward Sieger has a great report on Roger Ruggles’ new anti-blight plan: Easton City Councilman Roger Ruggles said he plans to bring a vacant property law to council next month that would require owners to register their empty buildings and pay an annual fee based on how long a building has stood dormant. Ruggles, who [...]
The Growing US Housing Shortage
June 30, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Getting *Funky* With Housing
June 29, 2011 by · 3 Comments
The Looming Rental Boom, Cont’d
June 2, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
WSJ on a rental boomlet in Miami: When the real estate market collapsed five years ago, this city’s downtown soon became an emblem of the worst excesses of the building boom. Glittering new towers sat mostly vacant. Those towers are filling up much sooner than some analysts predicted. The new arrivals, mostly renters, are spurring [...]
The Looming Housing Shortage
June 1, 2011 by · 3 Comments
Brad Delong: And starting in 2007 construction spending did indeed fall below trend. But we were expecting a minor one: a fall in construction spending below trend of $150 billion a year for two years or $100 billion a year for three years or $75 billion a year for four years. Instead, it fell $300 [...]