There are positive signs spanning the spectrum indicating a turning real estate market despite some weak spots across the country.  Just a few days ago,  USA Today reported that the number of existing homes for sales had dropped 22 percent from a year ago and… Read more

The dearth of residential construction in the past four years and a growing (albeit sputtering) economy, has set the stage for several years of rising rents—and in some locations SIGNIFICANTLY rising rents.  One of the mega themes I have addressed this past year in my… Read more

The big story for March 2012 existing homes sales was the significant decline in the inventory of homes available for sale (where the months inventory contrasts the current supply, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, to the sales rate).  Months inventory in March 2012 was 6.7 months… Read more

The National Association of Home Builders surveyed their membership on what features will likely not be included in 2012 construction as much as in the past.  Builders were asked to rate these amenities from 1 to 5 with 5 being more likely to be included. … Read more

RealtyTrac, a premier source for foreclosure information,  has released January 2012 foreclosure data statistics.  The top 10 states with greatest foreclosure discounts (typical foreclosure price compared to non-foreclosure sales) included: Largest Foreclosure Discounts January 2012 Rank State Foreclosure Discount 1 Massachusetts 53% 2 Massachusetts 49%… Read more

There are very few globally-recognized locations as small as Aspen, Colorado (the entire County in which Aspen is located, Pitkin County, had a population of 17,148 in 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau).  In the 1970s and early 1980s I did numerous appraisal assignments… Read more

CoStar, a premier provider of real estate information, now has the best series for commercial real estate sales volumes, as unlike others, it is not restricted to minimum price levels nor to specific types of ownership.  For those not familiar with CoStar, the company is… Read more

Apartment asking rents increased 2.8 percent last year according to Rents Marcus and Millichap while effective rents (after consideration of all discounts, giveaways and specials) jumped 4 percent.  At the same time, median U.S. home values declined 3.9 percent.  Marcus and Millichap expects 2012 to see… Read more

Houston–the Teflon® Economy and Real Estate Markets—A Few Scratches, But the Bad Stuff is Not Sticking and We Keep on Cooking….
Summary of the University of Houston’s Institute for Regional Forecasting Symposium Held November 8, 2011, Presented by Ted C. Jones
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Whenever talking about real estate, if we have learned anything, it is to invoke the TINSTAANREM clause—There Is No Such Thing As A National Real Estate Market.  That said, good news is that inventory for sale is down 20 percent year-over-year and declined 3.27 percent… Read more