Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/30/2009

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S&P/Case-Shiller® October Home-Price Index

The S&P/Case Shiller® composite index (graph here) for the month of October was released today.

"The turn-around in home prices seen in the Spring and Summer has faded with only seven of the 20 cities seeing month-to-month gains, although all 20 continue to show improvements on a year-over-year basis. All in all, this report should be described as flat" says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s. "Coming after a series of solid gains, these data are likely to spark worries that home prices are about to take a second dip. Before jumping to conclusions, recognize that the one time that happened at the beginning of the 1980s, Fed policy saw dramatic reversals, which is very different from the stable and consistent Fed policy we have today. Further, sales of existing homes – those included in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices – have been very strong in recent months, working off the inventories of houses for sale. At the same time, housing starts remain weak, fears that the market will be swamped by a wave of foreclosures are heard and government programs aimed at the housing market will expire in the first half of 2010."

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/29/2009

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A Hockey Stick Graph With Nowhere to Hide

Ouch.

Calculated Risk shares the news that Fannie Mae "reported today that the rate of serious delinquencies - at least 90 days behind - for conventional loans in its single-family guarantee business increased to 4.98% in October, up from 4.72% in September - and up from 1.89% in October 2008".

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/28/2009

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Northern Virginia Weekend Bits Bucket 12/26-12/27, 2009

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/24/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/23/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/22/2009

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Northern Virginia Weekend Bits Bucket 12/19-12/20, 2009

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Snow Thread

Here's the view from my deck Saturday morning, the halfway point of the storm. If you'd like to post your snow pictures here, send them to hwimsey@gmail.com. Also linked for your enjoyment is "Snowmageddon" by CR. Have any of you been out on the roads? I saw a Jeep go by a little while ago, which surprised me. We braved the crowds for food yesterday, and that was enough. Happy shoveling!

9:00 AM	11:00 AM
3:00 PM

From Vienna:

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/18/2009

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Person of the Year

The country's in the very best of hands. H/T Cara, via CalculatedRisk. From TIME Magazine: Person of the Year 2009 Extended Interview:

"TIME: Do you have a mortgage?

Bernanke: Oh, yes, we refinanced.

TIME: Oh, perfect. When?

Bernanke: About 5%. A couple of months ago.

TIME: Good time.

Bernanke: Yes. We had to do it because we had an adjustable rate mortgage and it exploded, so we had to.

TIME: So, did you get a fixed rate at 5%? I think this might be the most valuable piece of information. (Laughter.)

Bernanke: Thirty years fixed rate at a little over 5%".

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/17/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/16/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/15/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/14/2009

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Northern Virginia Weekend Bits Bucket 12/12-12/13, 2009

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"It's Different Here"

"The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector".

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/11/2009

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Northern Virginia November Housing Sales

November sales data from MRIS will be posted here today. H/T 'The Anonymous' who provided us with this link to sales numbers from NVAR in the bits section.

Update: Most counties are in the black this month, both for number of sales and for median prices. Arlington County and Alexandria City had a huge upswing in sales over last November. The potential expiration of the first-time buyer tax credit likely spurred sales in November, as the former deadline for the tax credit was December 1st.



Source: MRIS

Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/10/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/9/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/8/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/7/2009

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Northern Virginia Weekend Bits Bucket 12/5-12/6, 2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/4/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/3/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/2/2009

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Northern Virginia Bits Bucket 12/1/2009

P.M. edition -

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