Blog Profile... Dr. Housing Blog!

What could be better than a doctor specializing in the housing market? To me, it doesn’t get much better! When it comes to short term and long-term illnesses pertaining to housing, Dr. Housing Bubble can cure any problem! Well not really, but he/she is on top of his/her housing news. I’m not sure who the mastermind is behind this blog, but this person is very informed. The doctor posts daily responses on new developments in the housing and real estate world. Dr. HB shares his/her opinions and frequently references news articles pertaining to housing. Like a podiatrist or an optometrist, Dr. Housing Bubble specializes in Southern California real estate.

            Because Dr. Housing Bubble is a “real” doctor (obviously), the blog is pretty academic in nature. It’s the most scholarly blog I’ve ever come across! Let’s be real, he uses graphs in almost every post! Even though the content is heavy and can often times be overwhelming, Dr. HB talks about housing in a relatable and comprehensible way. Every once in a while, he will throw in a joke or a sarcastic comment to lighten the mood. In a past post, the doctor complains that sellers, agents, and bank handlers often do not fix up homes before they attempt to sell them. Doctor HB jokes that the grass is so unkempt and high that “a California mountain lion could be living there”. Okay, it’s not the funniest joke you’ve ever heard, but it still makes things more enjoyable to read.

            Like any great doctor, he/she frequently gives advice to people looking to invest in real estate. The Doc makes sure to give the most relevant and accurate recommendations based on the information at hand. Doctor HB has many clients that follow his/her blog. He/she is a pretty well-known housing doctor. The good thing about the doctor is that you don’t have to wait for an appointment!

            Even though the blog uses lots of real estate jargon, you don’t have to be a real estate expert to understand the content. In a recent post, Dr. Housing Bubble states that the “desire to buy has not been removed from the current market but the psychology surrounding American real estate has definitely been shattered”. He/she goes on to say, “This is why even with low interest rates and many homes available to purchase, home sales are still anemic”. Dr. Housing Bubble does a good job of analyzing current housing trends.

            The Doc always has an explanation for most things that happen in the housing world. He blames top real estate associations for “overstating sales for multiple years. This is like a doctor saying he over diagnosed 15 to 25 percent of his patients with a severe illness”. Dr. HB is often critical of our housing problems and realizes who is at fault. However, he remains optimistic.

            Like Dr. Housing Blog, I hope to make my blog informative and stimulating. My blog will be more on the informal and light-hearted side, but still present concrete information. While Dr. Housing Bubble focuses solely on the housing bubble, I plan to touch on deep-rooted problems within housing such as affordable housing and homelessness. 

Hello World!

Lets begin by taking a step back to 1949. You are probably wondering why we would do that? Well, in 1949, the United States passed the American Housing Act. The 1949 Housing Act was one of the largest national housing policies in the United States. It expanded the federal governments’ role in mortgage insurance, urban renewal, and the construction of public housing. Its objective was to create a “decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family”. I’m bringing this up because it’s 2012 and this goal is far from being met. Millions of households are living in dwellings above their means or have no kind of shelter at all. This is due to the fact that housing costs way more than it used to. In the 1960s, food constituted for one-third of a household’s budget. Today, food constitutes one-seventh of a family’s budget. The costs of housing, healthcare, and childcare have all risen disproportionately. Its crazy how drastically things can change in a matter of 50 years. For the purposes of my blog and my overall sanity, I will only be focusing on our housing crisis. Like that’s an easy task!

            So, you are probably wondering who I am and how am I qualified to talk about the housing crisis? First off, lets be clear—I’m not claiming to be an expert of any kind. However I do have an invested interest in the housing market. Growing up, my dad would always talk about the housing problems in this country. At the time, I had no clue what he was talking about! Now that I have grown up, I understand where he was coming from. I am currently majoring in public policy with an emphasis in real estate development. Now, you are probably wondering why you should listen to a college kid? Well, I suppose you don’t have to. But if you want to read or learn more about issues pertaining to housing, then you have come to the right blog. Housing is a topic that I find myself thinking about and researching often. My blog will focus on how we got ourselves in this current predicament and how we can improve the overall housing problems in the United States.

            I will examine and critique current housing policies and programs in order to get a better understanding of how things can be fixed. Affordable housing has always been a problem. A household should spend no more than 30% of their annual income on housing. Public housing, HUD section 8, inclusionary zoning, and rent control are all housing programs that are meant to increase affordable housing options. They all have good aspects and intentions, but they all have shortcomings. As a result, slum housing and homelessness continue to exist.

            With the burst of the housing bubble and the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage system, our housing crisis has become even worse. Millions of Americans cannot pay off their mortgages. Foreclosure rates continue to rise while home values continue to depreciate. Home construction is at an all time low.

            Even though there are many problems pertaining to housing, I am optimistic that things will improve with time. We just have to be patient! I look forward to blogging about these issues and hopefully learning more in the process.