Author Archives: Popular Economics Weekly

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About Popular Economics Weekly

Harlan Green is editor/publisher of PopularEconomics.com, and content provider of 3 weekly columns to various blogs--Popular Economics Weekly, Financial FAQs and the Mortgage Corner.

Record Post-Recession Home Sales, Construction, Case-Shiller Prices in July

The Mortgage Corner With all the bad news coming from the stock market, it’s good to know that this hasn’t affected the housing market. In fact, it’s pushing interest rates lower, so that a conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate has … Continue reading →

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Higher Birth Rates Are Here

The Mortgage Corner The mellennial generation, now aged 18 to 36 years, are beginning to drive higher birth rates. And that means more households being formed, which will ultimately create a higher demand for housing. Actually, a 4 million birth … Continue reading →

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Unemployment Rate Stuck

Popular Economics Weekly The U.S. pumped out another 215,000 new jobs in July, but it doesn’t look like this is enough to convince the Fed to begin to raise rates in September. Workers still aren’t getting decent raises and millions … Continue reading →

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Who’s To Blame For the Great Recession?

Popular Economics Weekly Why has economic growth been so slow since the Great Recession? This is the question haunting many economists these days. Second quarter 2015 real GDP growth (after inflation) was just 2.3 percent six years after its end. … Continue reading →

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Case-Shiller Home Prices Up, Ownership Rate Lower

The Mortgage Corner Home prices have stabilized for a while, after the 2013 double-digit price surge brought on by the Fed’s various QE bond purchases and ultra-low interest rates. And homeownership rates are still dropping due mainly to affordability and … Continue reading →

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Will Fannie and Freddie’s Investors Finally Succeed?

Financial FAQs It is welcome news for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors that Judge Margaret Sweeney in the Federal Claims Court in Washington Tuesday granted a motion that will force the U.S. Treasury to release all discovery document materials … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales at 8-Year High

The Mortgage Corner It had to happen.  Why did June existing-home sales jump to an 8-year high? Fewer foreclosures is the short answer, hence more available for sale at market prices. But soaring consumer optimism due to an even better … Continue reading →

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Housing Starts, Builder Optimism at Recovery Highs

The Mortgage Corner Privately-owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,174,000. This is 9.8 percent above the revised May estimate of 1,069,000 and is 26.6 percent above the June 2014 rate of 927,000. This … Continue reading →

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Iran Agreement Means Low Inflation, Higher Growth

Financial FAQs Although economists haven’t yet begun to crunch the numbers, Iran’s agreement not to produce atomic weapons or weapon-grade plutonium for at least 10 years will result in much lower oil prices, thus keeping inflation in check and interest … Continue reading →

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Three % Plus YoY Economic Growth Is Here

Popular Economics Weekly We are finally back to 3 percent plus GDP growth on an annual basis. And it is largely fueled by consumer spending that has been increasing as more jobs are created. Retail and Food service sales ex-gasoline … Continue reading →

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