Author: Brad Beckett

The venerable American Automobile Association (aka AAA) says that America is on tap for another record-breaking number of travelers this holiday season – predicting that over 115 million people will do so.  Attributing those numbers to a good economy (and lower gas prices), AAA says over 104 million of those travelers will be driving to their destinations…we can already hear all the “are we there yet?”(s)….Indeed. “Holiday cheer is at an all-time high this year, with unemployment at historically low levels, and noted improvements in both disposable income and household net worth,” said Paula Twidale, vice president, AAA Travel. “Travelers…

According to ATTOM Data’s most recent U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were a total of 143,105 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings in Q3, 2019.  That number was 6% lower than Q2 and down 19% from one year ago – which they say is represents the lowest level since 2005.  In addition they report that Q3 2019 was the 12th consecutive quarter where foreclosure activity was below the pre-recession average. The top 10 states states with the longest average foreclosure timelines for homes foreclosed in Q3 of 2019 were Indiana (1,633 days); Hawaii (1,626 days); Nevada (1,511 days); New Jersey (1,173 days);…

Winter will soon be here, as well as weather-guessers predicting massive snowstorms that never materialize and only serve to create a bread-run at the supermarket.  However, all joking aside, winter weather is something that should be taken seriously and prepared for.  Today’s infographic from the National Weather Service reminds us that winter storms can bring snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the entire country – even Hawaii gets snow on the Big Island.  Thousands of people are injured or killed every year in traffic accidents related to slippery roads from winter storms.  Stay safe…..drive safely…..Happy Friday! Hat tip to weather.gov.…

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), U.S. house prices rose 1.1% in Q3 2019.  In addition, they report prices were up 4.9% from the Q3 of 2018. The FHFA produces the nation’s only public, freely available house price indexes (HPIs) that measure changes in single-family house prices based on data that cover all 50 states and over 400 American cities and extend back to the mid-1970s.  The FHFA’s HPIs are built on tens of millions of home sales and offer insights about home price fluctuations at the levels of the nation, census division,…

This is one of those stories that is hard to believe until you actually read about it.  Apparently, the public defecation problem has gotten so out of hand, so extraordinary,  in San Francisco that interactive graphs and charts have been produced to highlight its seriousness.   So bad in fact, as apartment-search site RealtyHop and other media outlets have reported, SF’s city government launched the Poop Patrol program to proactively mitigate the “shituation.”  You can’t make this stuff up.  Indeed…..Take a look at this mess: “…every city has a dark side, and San Francisco is no exception. San Francisco, as small…

While not exactly a sexy subject, this is interesting from a data & public health perspective.  According to research from the NAHB’s Economics analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), about 9% of new single-family homes started in 2018 across America were served by individual wells and more than 16% have private septic systems.  The SOC classifies community or shared water supply/wells as public water rather than individual wells. Click here to read the full report at the NAHB’s Eye on Housing.

Black Knight’s “first look” report for October, 2019 says that there were just under 44k foreclosure starts, with the National delinquency rate falling to 3.39% in October, a nearly 7% decline from 2018.  In addition, they also reported that serious delinquencies fell by 10k from September, while the number of loans in active foreclosure edged up slightly.  Prepayment activity climbed another 16% in October (the highest level since May 2013) and are now up 134% year-over-year as refinancing homeowners continue to take advantage of low interest rates.  Black Knight derives its data from their loan-level database representing the majority of…

We’ve covered this issue quite a bit over the past couple years.  Now comes a new report from the National Apartment Association (NAA) that illustrates rent control’s potentially devastating effects on four major U.S. cities (Chicago, Denver, Portland Oregon, and Seattle).  The NAA’s analysis hows  these policies decrease housing supply, harm the condition of existing housing stock and lower property values (lowering tax revenues), limiting job growth and having a negative impact on local economies.  Indeed… “Each of these effects represent inefficient outcomes relative to allowing the market price to adjust according to supply and demand. By not allowing the…

(See update at bottom of post)   The City of Cincinnati is considering legislation that would require landlords to accept so-called security deposit insurance in lieu of a security deposit.  According to CBS News, the newly introduced legislation would supposedly “free renters from having to hand over a large lump sum and instead direct landlords to accept a security-deposit insurance policy as an alternative.”  In addition CBS says it could make Cincinnati the first city in the nation to require their acceptance by landlords.  The timing is especially interesting as Cincinnati recently enacted a series of laws making it tougher…

The FBI tells us that there is one burglary in America every 13 seconds.  That means home & business security should be on everyone’s minds – especially as we move into the Christmas season.  The folks over at security comparison site SecuringHome put together this handy infographic to share some tried-and-true methods for keeping homes and families safe from outside threats.  They remind us, too, that the peace of mind that comes with home security cannot be overstated….Indeed…..Happy Friday! Hat tip to Securinghome.com.