Jane

As Housing Market Struggles, Homebuilders Focus on Survival

It is amazing how many experts write articles on homebuilder stock, the new home market, etc, without ever mentioning that factors that just MIGHT matter include: rampant shoddy construction and code violations; worthless warranties; abusive arbitration clauses; hidden complaints due in large part to arbitration clauses; builders having a big part in creating a housing bubble with artificially inflated prices and mortgage fraud, and so on. These problems, despite being ignored by mainstream media and many "experts," exist and have had a hand in the current economic problems...more than most casual readers know. I doubt the casual reader of economic information realizes that six of the big builders were fined last year alone, (plus I don't know how many smaller builders), for lending law violations. Despicable that they just pay a fine instead of being really held accountable for their hand in this mess. That's just one example. Investors who are really doing their homework would do well to research and consider these things. If they had, perhaps many Americans would not have seen their investments go up in smoke by leaving their retirement funds in the hands of "experts" who failed to "see the housing crash coming." Many saw it coming,and warned. Far too few experts paid attention.

Homebuilders Hands in Congress' Pocket?

I agree w/"Qualifiedbuyer's" comment, "so much for a free market economy." It might not be so repulsive if the industry wasn't being a big whiney hipocrite. This is the same industry that said "keep govt out of our business" when they were being accused by consumers of engaging in price runups and predatory lending. The mortgage mess was predicted but not paid attention to. Now this industry has done serious damage to the country and instead of having to pay the consequences, it is getting a bailout at the expense of those it hurts most--American citizens/tax payers. If this isn't evidence of ineptness and corruption between govt and corporate special interests I don't know what IS!

How Will the Housing Crisis End?

I agree w/Stephen R Smith that loose lending standards is part of what caused this mess in the first place. Just continuing to pump air in an artificially/fraudulen... inflated bubble is not a solution to anything, except maybe to allow a few more greedy stupid people to grab a chair before the music stops AGAIN, as it surely will. The housing and credit industries need a good cleaning out. And Americans need to wake up to the idea of living within their means and not buying overpriced junk just because they are told by industry shills and wannabe investors that the price will "only ever go up."