About Humble's Atasca Woods

Diana Olick says: The housing market is shrinking

The foreclosure headlines today are that one third of all home
sales in Q2 were of distressed properties (foreclosures and short
sales). The discount on those homes from comparable
non-distressed properties was 32 percent. What the headlines
don't say is that while the percentage of the market that's
distressed rose from a year ago, from 26 to 31 percent, the
actual number of distressed sales fell. The share only went up
because the number of non-distressed sales fell, leaving the
total pool smaller. And there's the biggest problem in housing
today. Sellers are afraid to put their homes on the market for
fear of losing too much equity, which means there are fewer
potential move-up buyers.

First time buyers are choosing to rent in droves, as unemployment
and the wider economy recover far more slowly than expected.
This, despite the fact that, nationally at least, it now costs
about the same to rent as it does to own. Just look at where the
mortgage payment-to-rent ratio has gone over the past few years.
Rent, as a percentage of income, is rising and household
formation is slowing at an alarming rate, eating into that
much-needed first time home buyer demand. The pipeline of
troubled loans is still huge, 4-5 million homes, and
unfortunately new delinquencies are on the rise again. And then
there's this problem: Households are getting bigger, as the
current tough mortgage market spurs more multi-generational
living. Households had been getting smaller over the past
decades, despite population growth. That was great for housing,
because it meant more demand. "A one tenth of a percent increase
in people per household would wipe out three years worth of
population- and immigration-driven household growth," according
to Green Street Advisors. That appears where we're headed. What do you think?

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Read: Matthew 18:1-14

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father…”

Lord, grant freedom and comfort to the millions who are enslaved and suffer throughout the world.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Read Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.

Thank you, Jesus for loving me and for saving me from condemnation. Keep me centered on you.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Read Romans 8:35, 37-39

Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.

Father, thank you that I can know you and enjoy your presence today! Help me to trust your promise, ‘I will,’ in every circumstance that I face today

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Read Romans 8: 9,11-13

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live

Come, Holy Spirit, into my heart. Transform my thoughts, intentions, and actions by your grace