This is the page where people can post questions after watching the English vs. American webinar on USA real estate investing.
Post what ever question comes to mind. If the question is not related to USA investing, post it anyway. I might move it to another discussion if there is a better fit.
Home Prices Fall Again – WSJ.com
“Home prices fell to new lows in January, but the rate of decline appeared to be easing, offering the latest hint that prices may be at or near a bottom.”
Photo: AP
“Prices dropped 0.8% in the three-month period that ended in January, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index that tracks 20 U.S. metro areas.”
Later in the article is an important point.
“The Case-Shiller index trails the housing market considerably. It reports sales contracts that were recorded for a three-month period that ended in January, which means it reflects sales activity from the autumn of 2011.”
“More recent indexes have reported modest stabilization for home prices.”
The market overhang appears significant. The article reports:
“Housing markets face significant headwinds. Nearly 11 million homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their houses or apartments are worth, and more than one million homes could sell out of foreclosure this year, putting pressure on prices. Credit standards are tight and show few signs of easing, leaving housing markets with fewer buyers at a time when more will be needed to soak up the excess supply.”
At the same time a different article makes the point that housing markets where employment is good to strong show very different trends compared to markets where the employment trends are weak. Phoenix, at one time in the top three cities for foreclosures, is now showing rising prices.
Toyota’s Lean Production Methods Help Build Homes for Displaced Katrina Victims
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43002
Since Toyota came on board, St. Bernard Project has seen the following results:
– Time it takes to rebuild a home has dropped from an average of 116 days to 60 days – a 48 percent improvement.
– Amount of houses being rebuilt per month has jumped from 8.6 to 12.8.
– Improved processes: the collaboration has consisted of sharing TPS know-how and working closely with St. Bernard Project’s professional staff, skilled construction supervisors and AmeriCorps members to improve homebuilding efficiencies.
One challenge was to develop a better way to schedule the hundreds of volunteers and construction contractors who work on the houses. While there was no organized system before, today, as you enter St. Bernard Project’s headquarters, “management boards” track everything from volunteer/worker schedules to inventory to status reports on homes being rebuilt.
