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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (45462)	12/6/2005 9:34:39 PM
From: bobby is sleepless in seattle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

at one point, Seattle was coined as the second coming of Silicon Valley.... dependent on tech, yes, including biotech. Someone recently posted an article having Seattle's Biotechnology leading the way in the population growth for the "Cascadia" area, from Eugene to Seattle in the next 30 years. I maintain this area is still about building planes, at least from a perception perspective. Yes, the core of BA fled to Chicago, but it's always good to hear about plane orders and this adds to Seattle and vicinity's optimism. Boeing is on the upswing with plane orders and hiring after years of downsizing, relocation, and playing second fiddle to Airbus. Ethnic Communities are growing strong with Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian very much so. All have impacted the demand for housing with planes and tech leading the way... Why anyone would want to live and work in continuous rain is beyond me...:)! Still, I find it absolutely amazing the increase in pricing...

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (45462)	12/7/2005 3:05:32 AM
From: Amy J	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

Separate reports showed some softening in retail sales after the kickoff to the holiday sales season and a drop in pending home sales, the latest sign of moderation in the housing market after a red-hot five-year run. tinyurl.com We all are suppose to work harder so they can keep increasing gas prices without generating inflation: The Labor Department said nonfarm business productivity advanced at a 4.7 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the swiftest increase in two years. The strong productivity gain pushed unit labor costs -- a key gauge of profit and price pressure -- down at a 1 percent pace despite a solid 3.7 percent rise in hourly compensation. "Companies may be paying more for raw materials and energy, but that is at least partially being offset by lower unit labor costs. That, I think, is likely to keep inflation contained," said Gary Thayer, chief economist at A.G. Edwards & Sons in St. Louis. --------------------------------------------------------- OT OT OT RE: Is it like Silicon Valley? Lizzie, not at all when I worked there in the 90s. I had to hide my cardkey that was on my key chain when out in public because of all of the attention and curiosity-seeking questions it would generate. There are lots of other businesses outside of tech. Of course, a lot of hightech companies have sprouted there recently but it's really different from Silicon Valley. I bet Google folks don't have to hide their cardkey in Silicon Valley - where the environment is different - where one company is one out of many hightech companies. Housing was expensive back then too.

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (45462)	12/7/2005 3:35:45 PM
From: Lazarus_Long	Respond to of 306849

Housing Slowdown May Claim 800,000 Jobs Wednesday December 7, 1:30 pm ET By Alex Veiga, AP Business Writer Slowdown in U.S. Housing Market Could Claim 800,000 Jobs Next Year, According to Report LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A sustained decline will hit the U.S. housing market next year, costing the nation as many as 800,000 jobs, according to a new economic report released Wednesday. The slowdown is likely to last several years, with as many as 500,000 construction jobs and 300,000 financial sector positions lost, the quarterly Anderson Forecast predicted. ADVERTISEMENT "We expect housing to start slowing the economy this quarter or the next," said Edward Leamer, director of the study done at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Some jobs in manufacturing might well disappear as a result of weakness in housing, but this may be offset by jobs brought home or not lost to foreign competition," he wrote. The forecast said eight of the last 10 economic recessions were started by housing market slowdowns. Though the coming cooldown will cause a drag on the nation's economy, it will fall short of triggering a recession, the forecast said. The report cited several signs that the decline could be under way: -- New construction of housing in October was down 5.6 percent from the previous month, with new construction of single-family housing accounting for a 3.7 percent dip. -- New home sales have declined. -- Applications for home mortgages have trended downward since late September as rates increased. -- In some regions, homes are remaining unsold longer and the pace of housing construction is outpacing population growth, which could spell a decline in demand. "On all these grounds, we believe housing is due for a sustained decline," economist Michael Bazdarich wrote in the forecast. "The remaining questions are how hard the fall will be and when it will begin." The forecast for California, where housing prices lead the nation and housing-related jobs have been driving economic growth, resembles the national outlook. Economist Ryan Ratcliff said the state's housing market will see a slowdown in spending along with job losses in construction and related sectors. He expects California home prices to plateau while sales and new construction see moderate decreases during two years of weak growth. "If the housing market slows more than we are expecting, a recession is not out of the question," Ratcliff wrote. Counties showing signs of a cooldown include San Francisco, where housing sales have been off 20 percent since peaking in June, 2004. San Diego County has seen sales slow about 13 percent, while monthly price gains have plummeted to low single digits. California's job picture has been lackluster in recent months. The rate of employment growth has slowed after a significant number of jobs were added in July and August. Construction has remained the fastest-growing sector. But Ratcliff predicts a slowdown in construction activity through 2007 and moderate construction job losses. biz.yahoo.com =========================================================== HERE WE GO!