A Bernie Sanders sock puppet defeats a San Francisco condo development

Local officials in San Francisco denied a sound building project due to angst over Donald Trump’s election and the persuasion of a Bernie Sanders sock puppet.

Nimbys oppose new developments for two reasons. First, they don’t want to deal with more people in their neighborhoods and...

A Bernie Sanders sock puppet defeats a San Francisco condo development

Corrupt Chinese elites pillage working class landowners

Local Chinese government officials and real estate developers corruptly conspire to take land from peasants without just compensation.

In most countries around the world, a legal process known as eminent domain exists for taking private land for public purposes. Without eminent domain, we...

Corrupt Chinese elites pillage working class landowners

Coastal California down payments decrease by $8,520 on select homes in 2017

The conforming loan limit is set to rise by 10,650 in Coastal California, reducing down payment requirements by $8,520 on homes prices above this limit.

During the housing bubble, the conforming limit rose as high as $417,000, but when the housing bubble burst, this limit was raised to $729,750...

Coastal California down payments decrease by $8,520 on select homes in 2017

Is another wave of foreclosures coming?

The mortgage and foreclosure debacle of 2008 was cut short by government intervention. A second round of deferred distressed sales is yet to hit the market.

Is the mortgage and foreclosure crisis resolved or merely delayed? Americans believe the mortgage and foreclosure crisis of 2008 is over, ...

Is another wave of foreclosures coming?

How to sell a house for $100,000 profit and still lose money

Most homeowners ignore the carrying costs during their ownership period when they calculate the gain or loss on a sale.

If someone claims they bought a house for $900,000 and sold it for $1,000,000, how much money did they make? $100,000? No, not even close.
People tend to forget about the...

How to sell a house for $100,000 profit and still lose money

California NIMBYs don"t love their children

California nimbys prevent the construction of housing needed for the next generation of Californians.

Last month I wrote about how American Dream equates with home ownership, and the California Dream resembles the exclusionary policies of the landed gentry of Elizabethan England. Like the wo...

California NIMBYs don"t love their children

Will the Federal Reserve allow the economy to run hot?

At this point in history, the benefits of an overheating economy outweigh the detriments of a little inflation.

The Federal Reserve controls the economy’s gas pedal. They can step on the pedal by lowering rates to inject more fuel into the economic engine. They can also let off the gas by...

Will the Federal Reserve allow the economy to run hot?

Trapped: Homeownership period extends to record length

With millions trapped underwater, and with those with equity experiencing weak wage growth, most people choose to remain in their homes rather than moving up.

Americans love their homes. Over the last decade, they became so enamored with their abodes that many decided not to leave. Prior to the ...

Trapped: Homeownership period extends to record length

Trump"s tax plan will shift housing demand from move-ups to entry-level

By greatly reducing the tax advantage of mortgage debt, many high-wage renters may choose to remain renters rather than assume large debts to buy a house. However, by reducing taxes on lower-income Americans, Trump’s tax plan should stimulate demand for entry-level housing.

Over the ...

Trump"s tax plan will shift housing demand from move-ups to entry-level

Will the current real estate cycle end before the remote suburbs recover?

The housing cycle probably hasn’t reached a turning point because the far-flung suburbs haven’t recovered yet.

The old real estate adage says “you drive until you qualify.” Potential homebuyers substitute to far-flung suburbs (exurbs) because high house prices push them...

Will the current real estate cycle end before the remote suburbs recover?

Interest rates soar on Trump victory

The short-term reaction to Trump’s victory was a massive selloff in bonds causing interest rates to soar. Will this be the start of an alarming new trend for mortgage rates?

The financial media ascribes gyrations in the financial markets to current news events, mostly with no correlation...

Interest rates soar on Trump victory

Seven ways Donald Trump"s presidency will impact real estate

Nobody knows what Donald Trump will do, but it’s unlikely he will do anything that hurts real estate.


Reporters across America reluctantly trashed their canned reports on how Hillary Clinton’s presidency would impact the world. Since Donald Trump’s victory was such a...

Seven ways Donald Trump"s presidency will impact real estate

China"s real estate bubble burst could derail the world economy

The Chinese inflated a real estate bubble more than ten times larger than the United States. Bursting this bubble could destabilize the world economy.

What would happen if the Chinese housing bubble burst? Obviously, a real estate crash would devastate China, but since the Chinese economy is...

China"s real estate bubble burst could derail the world economy

I told you Donald Trump would win

Nobody thought it would happen, but Donald Trump surprised everyone with his election day performance. As I post this, the election isn’t decided, and it’s so close, it may not be for days, weeks, or months with recounts, but irrespective of the final outcome, Donald Trump surprised...

I told you Donald Trump would win

Proposition 51: How should California pay for its schools?

Since California can’t properly fund its schools with property tax revenues, school districts must look to other sources. Is there a better way?

What is the appropriate way to pay for schools? Most jurisdictions pay for schools with local property tax dollars, and since Proposition 13 was...

Proposition 51: How should California pay for its schools?

Contrarian signs of trouble in the housing market

The current market rally shows signs of maturity. Is it due to die of old age, or will this rally last forever?


Most people who speculate in financial markets lose money, and most of them fail to recognize their “safe investments” are actually risky speculative bets. The housing ...

Contrarian signs of trouble in the housing market

Should we subsidize renters like we do homeowners?

Both homeowners and renters face high housing costs, but only homeowners enjoy government bailouts, loan modifications, and protections to “keep their homes.”

Why don’t renters get bailed out like homeowners? It seems fairly obvious that homeowners think renters are degenerates and l...

Should we subsidize renters like we do homeowners?

Top 13 free housing data sites

For audiences ranging from academic researchers to ordinary homebuyers, housing market data suiting everyone is available free on the Internet.

The future of data is free.
Twenty years ago, real estate agents provided value simply because they had access to the secret list of houses for sale....

Top 13 free housing data sites

High home prices enrich existing homeowners and impoverish recent homebuyers

As home prices move higher, existing homeowners cheer, but new homebuyers assume excessive debts to climb the property ladder.


Most people accept the idea that ever-rising house prices are good, and that a decline in house prices is bad. However, this idea appears to only apply to housing....

High home prices enrich existing homeowners and impoverish recent homebuyers

Twenty-five years of falling mortgage rates boosted prices 30%

The mainstream media litters the internet with articles about how rising mortgage interest rates won’t hurt the housing recovery. To better understand why rising interest rates are such a big issue to housing, it’s worth reviewing the impact falling interest rates have had on house...

Twenty-five years of falling mortgage rates boosted prices 30%

False start: five day penalty, repeat old website

Have you ever been in a hurry to start something, and in your enthusiasm, you began too soon?
Well, for those of you that set your bookmarks to marketinsitenews.com, I apologize. I’m migrating back to the OC Housing News. I may try again to migrate to a new site in the future, but for...

False start: five day penalty, repeat old website