Simple Minded Investor

You aren't smarter than the market. It really is that simple. The real estate industry is putting on a full court press for the notion that real estate is now a bargain. But the reality is that housing prices still have a long way to fall before they reach historic norms. And there are plenty of reasons to wonder even once they hit those norms, whether that will be the bottom of the market. The bad economy, huge amounts of other consumer debt, the tightening of credit and the hangover from the binge of new houses built at the height of the bubble would all argue that the immediate future is likely to see prices stay well below those historic norms for several years even once the current price bubble has fully deflated. So if you are renting and thinking about buying, you are probably better off waiting until at least 2010 and probably 2011. Buy now and it may be 5 years or longer before your house gets back to the current price you paid for it. On the other hand, if you already ow...

You aren't smarter than the market. It really is that simple. ---------- Update: Here is an article about Yun's predecessor essentially admitting his job was "spin". ------------- Is Lawrence Yun, the Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, really an economist? No, I don't mean does he have a degree and training in economics. I assume that he does. The question is what services of an economist does the National Association of Realtors provide. In case you haven't noticed Yun before, it seems every time there is an article about the housing market in the New York Times, Associated Press and other media, Yun appears with his usually rosy prognosis of the future of real estate. That is not surprising, given who he works for, but it is not really the job of an economist. Its the role of a PR flak who is delivering the message that suits his employers. I suspect the job title of "economist" is also a part of that message. Afterall, id...