Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate’
» posted on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 5:42 pm by Damien Baldino
Be cautious when investing in gold
Have you seen commercials on television lately talking about gold as the perfect investment vehicle? I’ve seen several of them lately, and I’m a bit mystified. Before I go into details about why I find this strange, check out this article about conservative talk show hosts and their links to gold advertisers. There’s a lot of gloom and doom out there, and the economy is far from strong, but do your best to ignore these commercials.
The economy is in lousy shape, but from what I’ve seen, read, and experienced, the worst is behind us. Stocks and real estate have plummeted in value over the past year or so, and in the case of stocks, a substantial portion of their value has recovered. Many pundits (but not this one) seem set on convincing us that the financial apocalypse is upon us. From what I can tell, they’re wrong. The financial system is weak, but it certainly isn’t dead. » read more
post a comment | filed under Business · Economy | tags: Asset Bubble, Gold, Real Estate, Securities, Stocks
» posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 5:20 pm by Damien Baldino
Tax credits, the free market, and government contradictions
Congress approved an extension of the $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers. The credit was supposed to end this month, but it has been extended until April, 2010. In addition to the extension, it has been expanded to many buyers, not just those looking for their first home. Some see this tax credit as a savior for the housing market, but I see it as yet another mistake.
The housing bubble existed for many reasons. Some were the fault of lenders, some borrowers, and others were caused by the government. For years, the government has encouraged home ownership by loosening credit and extending loans to questionable borrowers. This influx of people into the housing market, who wouldn’t other wise had access to credit, was a contributor to the bubble. There were many stilts propping up the housing market, and these easy-to-get loans were one of the things that kept prices artificially high. » read more
post a comment | filed under Economy | tags: Affordable Housing, Housing Credit, Real Estate
