John Mulkey, Housing Guru

As 2011 draws to a close, I look to past and current events to provide insights for my housing and economic predictions for 2012 and beyond; and what I see is both problematic and disheartening. Having experienced four years of instability in the housing market and with unemployment remaining at ...

Recent comments from members of both political parties regarding the lack of a “deal” within the debt super-committee border on laughable; let’s get real on the debt “deal.” NEITHER political party has put forth serious proposals that would truly and significantly lower the deficit. Their argumen...

  As we wind up year four of the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression, the country still faces the issues of strategic default, principal forgiveness and the specter of moral hazards. It now seems obvious that waiting for an illusive housing recovery is an exercise in futility, for we’...

    While many homebuyers are attracted by the lure of low prices sometimes found in foreclosures, builders have jumped on the bargain bandwagon and may offer greater value and less hassle than is often associated with distressed sales. For those who prefer the features and amenities often found ...

 The “Real” Importance of Location   In searching for a home, price may be a major factor, but one of the first and most critical issues to consider is location.  Is the home in an area where you want to live, and equally important, will the area appeal to future potential buyers?  Is it within a...

Although the President has just announced a $450 billion jobs initiative, there are several reasons why government will not solve the unemployment problem. And the consequences for the folks on Main Street remain dire. Not only will the efforts fall far short of creating the millions of jobs prom...

I want to invite all my Active Rain friends to hear The Housing Guru on radio on Tuesday, September 6 at 10:00 A.M. I will be interviewed on Write Here, Write Now, which is part of the BusinessRadioX.com in Atlanta.  The show will stream live at 10:00 A.M., and I will be talking about how I use w...

  While many have blamed irresponsible actions by homeowners for the recession and the collapse of housing, much of the problem lies with the big banks; and housing can’t recover unless the banks are honest.  Just yesterday an article on ProPublica described how the state of Nevada is suing Bank ...

I recently participated in a meeting of local real estate agents and mortgage brokers, and one of the topics discussed was: Why rent when you can own for less?  Why pay $1,000 per month in rent when the payments on a comparable home may be as low as $500-$600 per month?  Why indeed.   At first gl...

There’s nothing typical about the current housing market, but the changes in housing aren’t just revolutionary, they’re evolutionary too.  And it’s not limited to housing; the broader economy is being transformed almost daily.  The stock market is volatile.  Home prices are falling.  Foreclosures...