Category Archives: Economy

Housing Values Jump in Q2 2012

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Consumers, perk up, as I said last week. Housing values are finally rising nationally. In fact, housing prices in all 20 city-metro areas in the Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose for the first time in years, before … Continue reading →

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Romney’s 5-Point Plan—Very Primitive Economics

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Romney’s “Five Point Plan to Grow the Economy” that he touts on his website, is primitive economics almost beyond belief. It returns us to 19th century government of the few by the few with few regulations or insurance … Continue reading →

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Why the Summer Growth Slowdown?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The summer growth numbers seem weak, and pundits are saying it’s due to the European recession (so lower exports), the ‘fiscal cliff’(employers uncertain about future growth), and consumers with too much debt. But the numbers really show a … Continue reading →

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HARP 2.0 Leads Mortgage Refinance Higher

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner There is growing optimism that the real estate bust is finally at an end. The cause is a combination of record low interest rates leading to more refinance activity and increasing confidence of consumers in the economic … Continue reading →

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Consumers Becoming Healthier—Part II

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Consumers seem to be doing better, as I said last week, in spite of their worries about jobs, the economy and budget deficits (their own more than governments’). Consumer credit jumped $17.1 billion in May for the largest … Continue reading →

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Consumers Are Doing Fine

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Consumers seem to be doing fine, in spite of their worries about jobs in the latest University of Michigan sentiment survey, the economy and budget deficits (their own more than governments’). June average hourly earnings improved to a … Continue reading →

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What Do June Jobs Numbers Mean?

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Is history repeating itself? Once more the June jobs numbers don’t look so good, but once more they will probably be misleading. Because, once more, it looks like the so-called seasonal adjustments (SA) are overestimating the summer jobs … Continue reading →

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Obamacare–What Loss of Freedom?

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Hallelujah. The Supreme Court of our land has given Obamacare a clean constitutional bill of health, thanks to its Chief Justice, who says government does have the power to tax those who can afford to buy health … Continue reading →

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Home Prices Up, New-Home Sales Surging

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 7.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000 units in May, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. Why are new-home sales important? … Continue reading →

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Housing Recovery Has Begun

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner This may be the brashest of predictions. Can residential real estate prices actually be recovering? Yes, as housing inventories decline. The National Association of Realtors just reported on the national level, inventory of for-sale single family homes, … Continue reading →

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