Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Economists Fear Weak Demand For Homeownership Will Fester
Wall Street Journal ^ | 27 October 2007 | MICHAEL CORKERY

Posted on 10/27/2007 7:03:24 AM PDT by shrinkermd

Edited on 10/27/2007 7:40:24 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

The percentage of U.S. homes that are vacant and for sale remained at elevated levels during the third quarter, and the percentage of people who own their homes continued to decline, according to a Census Department report. These are the starkest signs yet of the severity of the damage in the housing market caused by speculation, overbuilding and rising foreclosures.


(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: housing; mortgages
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

1 posted on 10/27/2007 7:03:25 AM PDT by shrinkermd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

There will be weak demand for housing for at least 3-5 years. And prices will need to drop by 50% (or wages increase by 100%)


2 posted on 10/27/2007 7:04:36 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
Drop baby drop!

Deport a few more illegals and prices will go down further.

Yes, I am waiting to buy a house in late 2008 when the mother of all ARM resets should have crested, resulting in a further depression of housing prices.

3 posted on 10/27/2007 7:10:27 AM PDT by ikka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
I wonder when the Chicken Little hysteric in the US Drive By Media will finally recognize the utter stupidity of making these sorts of doom and gloom predictions time after time after time. These sorts of forecasts NEVER are even close to accurate. Just as the good news never turns out to never be as good as promised, these bad news predictions in the Junk Media always turn out to be vastly overstated.

How about the Junk Media quit hyping the news and manufacturing imaginary crises and simply go back to straight forward REPORTING of the facts.

4 posted on 10/27/2007 7:11:23 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Yo Democrats, You don't tell us how to wage war, we will not tell you how to be the village idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
Economists say

You have to subscribe to read the article. Does this "reporter" actually name the economists and quote them fully or are we just suppose to accept his word for what they are saying?

5 posted on 10/27/2007 7:13:19 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (Yo Democrats, You don't tell us how to wage war, we will not tell you how to be the village idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

I doubt that very seriously. People right now are playing chicken with the market.


6 posted on 10/27/2007 7:18:03 AM PDT by Perdogg (Join the NCAA basketball thread - Freemail me - Go tarheels!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
And prices will need to drop by 50%

True, if you look at the value of a home twenty years ago and calculated it's value based upon the time and value of money during the same period of time and you would be close to what current market value should be.

7 posted on 10/27/2007 7:20:43 AM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

The population is still GROWING and people have to live somewhere.


8 posted on 10/27/2007 7:22:53 AM PDT by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat
True, if you look at the value of a home twenty years ago and calculated it's value based upon the time and value of money during the same period of time and you would be close to what current market value should be.

1. Homes - on average - historically barley beat inflation 2. Homes (and all buildings) are a depreciating asset 3. Homes - historically - were priced at about 3x the prevailing wage.

9 posted on 10/27/2007 7:24:18 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat
True, if you look at the value of a home twenty years ago and calculated it's value based upon the time and value of money during the same period of time and you would be close to what current market value should be.

1. Homes - on average - historically barley beat inflation 2. Homes (and all buildings) are a depreciating asset 3. Homes - historically - were priced at about 3x the prevailing wage.

10 posted on 10/27/2007 7:24:19 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat
True, if you look at the value of a home twenty years ago and calculated it's value based upon the time and value of money during the same period of time and you would be close to what current market value should be.

1. Homes - on average - historically barley beat inflation 2. Homes (and all buildings) are a depreciating asset 3. Homes - historically - were priced at about 3x the prevailing wage.

11 posted on 10/27/2007 7:24:20 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie
Just as the good news never turns out to never be as good as promised, these bad news predictions in the Junk Media always turn out to be vastly overstated.

The housing market has actually been worse than what was predicted since last year. The gov't and National Association of Realtors estimates have been revised downward (as in bad) nearly every month during the last year.

12 posted on 10/27/2007 7:26:36 AM PDT by am452 (If you don't stand behind our troops feel free to stand in front of them!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Don Corleone
The population is still GROWING and people have to live somewhere.

Apartments

13 posted on 10/27/2007 7:27:39 AM PDT by am452 (If you don't stand behind our troops feel free to stand in front of them!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Don Corleone
The population is still GROWING and people have to live somewhere.

Builders put up about two million more homes than are needed right now. Illegals getting no-doc loans were filling some of that gap - now we'll just have to wait until demand catches up with supply.

14 posted on 10/27/2007 7:37:57 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("Wise men don't need to debate; men who need to debate are not wise." -- Tao Te Ching)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
Economists Fear Weak Demand For Homeownership Will Fester
Uncle Fester
15 posted on 10/27/2007 7:41:37 AM PDT by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
"...prices will need to drop by 50%"

Nonsense! No one can possibly know when the supply/demand equation will come into balance. Homes in fact ARE selling albeit at a slower pace then they are being put on the market. People may just stop listing their homes in a market like this and that happening the over all supply shrinks ans prices begin to rise. There is not necessarily a lack of demand as much as people playing a wait and see game to see how low prices will go. As soon as the sheeple perceive prices are not heading lower they will en mass flood the market. One thing I will predict though. When buyers do jump back into the market this R.E. downturn will reverse as quickly as it came on us and prices for homes will again leap. There will a pent up demand needing to be satisfied. How long will that take? No one knows, all we all can know is it will happen.

16 posted on 10/27/2007 7:50:37 AM PDT by Eagles Talon IV
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd
I'm wondering how the devastating fires in Southern California will affect the housing market there. People who have lost their homes need to find a place to live, and soon. Re-building takes time, especially in areas where the permit process is long and involved.

I may be totally wrong, but I can envision a scenario where people who have been burned out will take their insurance money and buy existing properties that have been languishing on the market.

17 posted on 10/27/2007 7:59:43 AM PDT by Inspectorette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Eagles Talon IV
"...prices will need to drop by 50%"

Nonsense! No one can possibly know when the supply/demand equation will come into balance.

Of course no one can predict the future. However - we can look at historical averages (rent/purchase or income/house price) and see how things will eventually have to change.

BTW - I am talking real dollars. If housing prices stay the same in price for 10 years - that is about a 50% reduction in price due to inflation.

18 posted on 10/27/2007 8:00:32 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: shrinkermd

As pleased as I am to see the housing bubble burst (and I am thrilled, believe me) this part “...the percentage of people who own their homes continued to decline...” strikes me as overstated. It may have indeed declined, but I can’t imagine it has delcined very much at all.


19 posted on 10/27/2007 8:34:10 AM PDT by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Eagles Talon IV
When buyers do jump back into the market this R.E. downturn will reverse as quickly as it came on us and prices for homes will again leap.

Generally that does not happen. During most RE downturns and the subsequent turnaround the prices came back slowy but steady. It happened in Texas in the '80's and Ca in the 90's. In both areas it took 8-10 years for prices to recover.

20 posted on 10/27/2007 8:51:21 AM PDT by am452 (If you don't stand behind our troops feel free to stand in front of them!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson