Today the U.S. Census Bureau released detailed tables for the 2011 American Housing Survey, a comprehensive survey on housing produced biennially that includes everything from average apartment costs to how many bathrooms you’ll find in the typical American home.
The American Action Forum hosted a panel discussion at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento on the devastating downturn of the housing market and painful recovery currently facing our nation. There's no question California's housing markets and greater economy have been among the hardest hit, yet a comeback seems to be underway. What can California's story teach the rest of us? Is using eminent domain really a solution to our housing woes?
KPNX-TV in Phoenix covers the American Action Forum latest housing event, "The U.S. Housing Recovery: Lessons from Arizona," featuring Senator John McCain, Forum President Douglas Holtz-Eakin and other experts.
PHOENIX – The American Action Forum released today a study examining the current state of the housing market in Arizona and an analysis of the policies that have influenced recovery there. The paper, “Boom, Bust, and Beyond: A Look at Housing Market Data in Arizona” was released in conjunction with today’s event, the U.S. Housing Recovery: Lessons from Arizona, featuring Senator John McCain and top housing and economic experts across the political spectrum.
Single-family mortgages dominate discussions of the mortgage market and, especially, the housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). But the GSEs have a significant history with the multifamily sector as well. As a paper commissioned for the National Housing Council put it:
The quality of housing policy ideas has crashed more than the market itself. Recently, the venture capital firm Mortgage Resolution Partners hatched the idea of using eminent domain to seize mortgages on behalf of borrowers as a way of assisting California's troubled property values whilst turning a profit. Since San Bernardino County first floated the proposal, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and two Chicago aldermen have shown interest in it, too, despite the raised eyebrows of officials at the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Housing news this week has been mixed. Will prices fall farther or have we really hit bottom?
Zillow reported on Monday, “We believe that housing has finally turned a corner.” They rightly point to hopeful trends in sales, prices, and homebuilder confidence. Negative equity has restricted inventory, driving up prices, and investor demand has been strong. Certain markets ARE improving.
