Trifecta

Hello world:

Lets begin this blogging journey by taking a step back to 1949. Random I know, but brass yourselves! In 1949, the United States passed the American Housing Act (I’m sure that’s the first thing that popped into your mind). 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”. Keyword… “EVERY”. *Cough* ya right *Cough*.

Funny, since its now 2012 and this goal is far from being met. Come on America! It’s time to get it together! Millions of households are living in dwellings above their means or have no kind of shelter at all. Housing costs WAY more than it used to (rough times).  In the 1960s, food constituted for one-third of a household’s budget. Today, food constitutes one-seventh of a family’s budget (I guess that makes sense…Del Taco does offer a delicious 49 cent taco). The costs of housing, healthcare, and childcare have all risen disproportionately. For the purposes of my blog and my overall sanity, I will only be focusing on housing. Ha! 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 people—I’m not claiming to be an expert of any kind. However I do have an invested interest in the housing market. I am currently majoring in public policy with an emphasis in real estate development. Sounds pretty fancy! Now, you are probably wondering why should I listen to a college kid? Well, I suppose you don’t have to. It’s a free country…last time I checked! But if you want to read or learn more about issues pertaining to housing, then you have come to the right blog… aka it’s going to be a life-changing experience!

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 (super easy to figure out!) 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 (shocker!). 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.

Oh me, Oh my! Sounds to me like the world is coming to an end…Oh wait, it is! We have until December 21^st to solve this housing crisis!!! We can do it…NOT! Sorry, I’m being kind of a Debbie Downer, but there are so many problems with housing. It can be overwhelming. I can’t help but get carried away. But I am genuinely optimistic that things will improve with time. We have to have a little faith…right? Maybe I am being naïve, but I still have hope.

Profile:

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 (we are on a nickname basis) 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/she 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 renowned housing doctor. The good thing about the doctor is that you don’t have to wait for an appointment! (sorry, bad joke)

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:

“The desire to buy has not been removed from the current market but the psychology surrounding American real estate has definitely been shattered”… “This is why even with low interest rates and many homes available to purchase, home sales are still anemic”.

Dr. Housing Bubble is a mastermind at 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:

“Not so much of a shock here but you have to realize that one of the top associations for real estate basically is saying they were off on their bread and butter business for years.  This is like a doctor saying he over diagnosed 15 to 25 percent of his patient with a severe illness.”

It’s clear that Dr. HB knows what’s up? Dr. Housing is often critical of our housing problems and realizes who is at fault. Like Dr. Housing Blog, I hope to make my blog informative and stimulating. My blog will be more on the informal 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. It’s going to be the real deal! Get excited!

Voice Critique: 

He goes by Chuck Ponzi… well at least that’s his name in the blogging world. I’m pretty sure he’s not actually related to Charles Ponzi! (I sure hope not!) Either way Chuck is the writer of “Southern California Real Estate Bubble Crash Blog” (it’s a mouthful, I know). While he hasn’t written a recent blog post in sometime, good old Chuck Ponzi caught my eye. Chuck is a true character. He doesn’t hold back. He is opinionated. He is confident. He says it like it is.

Chuck is certainly not shy. He is the epitome of cynical and sarcastic. However, he is still likeable and relatable. The way he puts words together paints a vivid image for the reader. He is witty and truly a very funny guy. Most of his posts are filled with mockery and ridicule. In the post entitled, “No Frog March for Mozilo”, Chuck rips into Angelo Mozilo. Chuck shows no mercy.

Chuck rarely disappoints. Even if you had no hard feelings towards Mozilo to begin with, by the end of this post you hate him too! In fact you hate the entire financial sector! You are automatically on Chuck’s side. He certainly has a way with words. Chuck uses very strong language to evoke a feeling of disgust and disdain. His diction is very descriptive and filled with insults (e.g., “trash-filled piece of financial garbage” “rich fools” “gold-plated toilets, “porn parties”, “fine the crap out of him”). His writing is pretty informal. He often uses parentheses and caps lock to get his point across. Chuck ends the post with “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, too.” It doesn’t get anymore sarcastic than that! He even compares a picture of Mozilo to a picture of the Grinch. I’m not gonna lie, Mozilo has found his doppleganger!

While most of his posts are filled with insults and sarcasm, Chuck’s post, “Buying a house” is endearing and helpful. He talks about the process of buying a home for his family. He is eager to help.

Chuck writes…

“In the end, we waited over 6 years before becoming homeowners again, we found that the emotional decision to buy a home is quite powerful for people that have already owned; it was for us”.

He ends the post with…

“Feel free to ask any questions that you might have in the comments; I will be as honest as I can”.

Under that sarcastic façade is a passionate guy ready to give advice to others. He almost becomes sensitive and conscious of others’ feelings. But don’t get too used to nice Chuck! In the very next post, he is right back to his normal cynical self!