An Associated Press story about home prices, and variations of it, has been making the rounds in the news media today. As found at MSNBC: Home prices fell by steepest rate ever.
A snippet:
Nine metropolitan cities — Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C. — posted […]

Even though “gated” communities are rare in Monroe County, there are quite a few areas where private neighborhood or homeowners associations are responsible for snowplowing (in hopes of getting streets cleared faster than the municipality will provide), landscaping or upkeep of neighborhood parks, and sometimes even street repairs.
There was even a neighborhood where I used […]

My co-worker Charles Slat has this story for page 1A today’s print and e-editions of The Monroe Evening News: Housing slumping, but some good signs.
A snippet:
The housing market nationwide has been faltering and prices were down about 4 percent in Michigan overall in the past year, said Samuel D. Kahan, senior economist with the Federal […]

Christian Science Monitor has this story on page 1 of its print edition today: Where housing bust hits hard.
There are some lessons here for those of us living in Monroe County, given the commute from here to the Ann Arbor, Detroit and Toledo metro areas.
A snippet:
It’s not just vacant and foreclosed properties dragging prices down. […]

CNN has this story today: When finances are tight, Should you take in family?
A snippet:
“There was no hesitation,” says Lavada Lyons, of Tampa. Her three grandsons have been living in a camper in her backyard with their mother — Lyons’ son’s former girlfriend — since the four were evicted in March from their apartment […]

The Detroit News has this report today: Metro home sales perk up; prices fall.
A snippet:
The recovery won’t be quick or easy. Experts say prices aren’t likely to start rising until sometime next year, at the earliest. And more auto industry buyouts scheduled for this year and tighter lending standards could increase the number of homes […]

Parade Magazine, which is distributed with the Sunday edition of The Monroe Evening News, had a theme this week of “Where America Lives.”
If you haven’t read the magazine yet, the articles are now available on line and include:

What your home is worth.
Homeowner personal stories.
Great reasons to rent.
Open House America.
The best strategies for right now.
Survey.

The Detroit Free Press has a report today on the southeast Michigan real estate market from the buyer’s point of view: Purchases can get more house for their money in every price range.
A snippet:
Home prices have dropped 23.2% since peaking in December 2005, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. And Michigan home sales fell […]

Focus: Hope in Detroit will host a home repair workshop from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday May 3 at Focus: HOPE Conference Center, 1400 Oakman Boulevard east of Linwood, Detroit.
The topic for this program is “green building and healthy homes.”
The program is free, but advance registration is required.

Not all of the jobs that have disappeared in southeast Michigan are related to the auto industry. Detroit News has this story today: Construction jobs dry up.
A snippet:
A little more than 69,000 jobs related to home building construction have vanished this decade, according to data from the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth.
That number […]