A Brief History of the Mortgage, From Its Roots in Ancient Rome to the English ‘Dead Pledge’ and its Rebirth in America
The backstory of what is now arguably the most widely-used form of lending in principal terms, the mortgage.
Read more...Category Archives: Real estate
The Destiny of Civilization: An Interview with Michael Hudson on Economic Development, Rentierism, Debt, China
Another tour de force with Michael Hudson, covering development, rentierism, economic narratives, debt dynamics, and the rise of China.
Read more...In Just 44 Days, Liz Truss Has Made the UK Immeasurably Worse
Truss’ legacy will be one of a tanking pound, soaring inflation, and a seemingly inevitably recession.
Read more...Housing Bubble Woes: Home Prices Drop 3.5%, Steepest Monthly Drop since Jan. 2016. Sales, Already at Lockdown Levels, Drop Further. Active Listings Rise Further
The housing market in the US, not surprisingly, is looking pretty punky.
Read more...New USPS Delivery Network: Radically Cutting Rural Service, Headcount; Likely to Further Slow Delivery
The gutting of USPS is accelerating. A step backwards for what passes as American civilization.
Read more...Tories Create a Hostile Environment for Gypsies and Travellers
Tory policy and legislation on Gypsies and Travellers deprives them of a place to live and targets them with criminal penalties.
Read more...Real Estate Booms Are Behind Europe’s Productivity Divergence
The lack of real convergence between countries in Europe is a major obstacle to the proper functioning of the Euro area.
Read more...Tiny Algae Could Help Fix Concrete’s Dirty Little Climate Secret – 4 Innovative Ways to Clean Up This Notoriously Hard to Decarbonize Industry
Some possible ways to make concrete less of an environmental problem.
Read more...“Housing Recession”: NAHB. Homebuilders Cut Prices as Traffic of Prospective New-House Buyers Plunges, Cancellations Spike
Housing sales and prices continuine on their grim slide.
Read more...Oakland-Based Cooperative Builds Community Through Collective Property Ownership
East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative takes historic real estate off the speculative market in West Oakland to help residents.
Read more...Think the Financial Crisis Is Over? Mortgage Servicers Still Abusing Borrowers For 10+ Years, Thanks to Lax Fannie/Freddie Oversight
Mortgage servicers are torturing borrowers who have been unable to pay for over a decade. All they are doing now is ripping off governments.
Read more...How Public Real Estate Investment Trusts Extract Wealth from Nursing Homes and Hospitals
REITs are considered “passive” investors but play a very active role in reshaping whole industries, like hospitals
Read more...Prices of New Houses Plunge, Sales Crater to Lockdown Level, Inventories Pile Up to Highest Since 2008
There is no “housing shortage,” with over 9 months’ supply of unsold houses, the most since the Housing Bust. But prices are still too high.
Read more...Michael Hudson: From Junk Economics to a False View of History – Where Western Civilization Took a Wrong Turn
Hudson reviews how economics has misrepresented the evolution of money and land ownership and promoted oligarchy.
Read more...Portland: Sobering Lessons in Untying the Knot of a Homeless Crisis
On the burgeoning homeless problem in Portland, and the city’s well-meaning but insufficient measures.
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