Housing.com News, Analysis & Opinion: Housing Market: Mixed Messages

(To be fair, the NAR just put out a very informative press release detailing the cooling of existing home sale trends, as well as how they garner their data for making predictions.)

Maybe this article about what ~~a girl~~ a home buyer wants has the answer. More space, more amenities, better life quality...basically just "bigger and better" overall. Sounds like a slightly less self-absorbed take on the "trading up and out" mindset to me.

All your home listing base are belong to Google. Yet another volley in the Internet-based real estate game, and this one designed specifically to compete with the likes of Craigslist. As the Bankrate article pointed out, searchers are using the Internet for discounts, comparisons, searches, and closings...another sign that the balance of power is shifting from seller to buyer.

With inventory at seven-month highs, mortgage rates staying reasonable, and the horror of insane price appreciation finally dying down, maybe now's not as bad a time to buy as the pundits would have you believe. But though gravity can be temporarily negated, you always end up coming back to Earth sooner or later.

Just for some perspective, here's today's "FEMA SUCKS" moment, specifically how evacuees are coping with their strange new environs. Sticker shock is bad enough if you're prepared for it. Imagine having to move thousands of miles after a disaster destroys your livelihood, and not being able to afford anything like your old standard of living anywhere else.

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Existing home sales sank, but prices continue to rise, and The National Association of Realtors is wasting no time patting itself on the back. Isn't it amazing how median prices continue to increase, even though all the economic indicators are saying it's time to chill out? (To be fair, the NAR just put out a very informative press release detailing the cooling of existing home sale trends, as well as how they garner their data for making predictions.) Maybe this article about what ~~a girl~~ a home buyer wants has the answer. More space, more amenities, better life quality...basically just "bigger and better" overall. Sounds like a slightly less self-absorbed take on the "trading up and out" mindset to me. All your home listing base are belong to Google. Yet another volley in the Internet-based real estate game, and this one designed specifically to compete with the likes of Craigslist. As the Bankrate article pointed out, searchers are using the Internet for discounts, comparisons, searches, and closings...another sign that the balance of power is shifting from seller to buyer. With inventory at seven-month highs, mortgage rates staying reasonable, and the horror of insane price appreciation finally dying down, maybe now's not as bad a time to buy as the pundits would have you believe. But though gravity can be temporarily negated, you always end up coming back to Earth sooner or later. Just for some perspective, here's today's "FEMA SUCKS" moment, specifically how evacuees are coping with their strange new environs. Sticker shock is bad enough if you're prepared for it. Imagine having to move thousands of miles after a disaster destroys your livelihood, and not being able to afford anything like your old standard of living anywhere else. Like I said, mixed messages.