Forget what the Realtors call "inventory." Forget short-sales, bank-owned, and upside-down. The best measure of the housing market is how many units are empty.
A normal market has vacancy. Someone moves out of a house, and the next owner won't
The economy is looking better, with growth in employment, retail spending, and manufacturing production. Will the economic recovery spread to real estate? Some good news has already arrived, but not enough to make most real estate professionals happy. Things
Should a business buy its own building in this market? A small business owner recently asked me that very question. I think it’s a great idea to consider in many areas, given the weak real estate market, but