June 21, 2005

Trade School Versus Academia

Yes, once again it’s the academics squaring off against the Realtors®. Not too surprisingly, they offer two wildly different views. Play along and see if you can match the forecast to the group:

1. [M]edian home prices across the state will rise 15 percent year-over-year in 2005, down from 21 percent last year. In 2006, prices will probably increase less than 15 percent, but well above zero.

2. Prices are not associated with reality...[they] are gambling on massive amounts of appreciation, and it's not worth the price compared to the rental value. It's a house of cards.

That’s right, the first is credited to Leslie Appleton-Young, economist at the California Association of Realtors. And number two? A pesky academic economist at UCLA named Christopher Thornberg.

· Housing market tumble forecast [Chronicle]

First Published: June 21, 2005 9:42 AM

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