The 10 Most Dollar-Discounted Housing Markets

Listing prices in these cities have been slashed by millions of dollars over the past year

By Luke Mullins

Posted: June 26, 2009

5. Las Vegas: Listing prices in Las Vegas have been reduced by nearly $158 million over the past year. "The issue here is all about foreclosures," says Steve Bottfeld, the principal of Las Vegas-based Marketing Solutions, which specializes in real estate economics. "You had an essential change in housing dynamics in 2004, and that was that housing was no longer looked at as someplace to live; it became to be a commodity." As a result, speculators began scooping up properties in growing numbers. After the market turned, many such properties ended up in foreclosure. Bottfeld says that a title company allowed him to examine its list of foreclosed homes last year. "I found one guy's name on 40—that's four-zero—foreclosures," he said. "Now, you want to talk about greed? That is greed with a capital G."

Here is the combined reduction in listing prices for each given market from June 9, 2008, to June 9, 2009. All of these homes are still on the market.

  1. Manhattan: $1 billion
  2. Miami: $257 million
  3. Los Angeles: $236 million
  4. Chicago: $212 million
  5. Las Vegas: $158 million
  6. Atlanta: $157 million
  7. Jacksonville, Fla.: $120 million
  8. Austin: $105 million
  9. San Francisco: $98 million
  10. Charlotte, N.C.: $81 million
Comments on article

I note that the first two comments have little or nothing to do with the article; the organized, "free market" talking points are being circulated in a very organized way. Anybody who can't tell the difference between slavery and our government's response to our economic problems needs to brush up on how to think, not skip over the fact that those problems stem in large measure from the actions of people like AIG and investment bankers who made a free market in junk investments because they were not effectively regulated to protect us from their greed.

As to the other comments, I agree the article has little depth and little of practical use in specific situations; still, knowing what trends are underway is helpful in picking general areas to look in for specific opportunities.

Vank of FL @ Aug 13, 2009 10:54:59 AM

Taxation is slavery

1. Add up all your income 2. Add up all the taxes you pay. 3. Divide your total taxes by total income to get a ratio. 4. Multiply the ratio from step 3 to see how many months per year you are a government slave. For example: 1. Income 10,000. Taxes: 2. 5,000. 3. Ratio 0.50. Slave: 6 months per year.

Honest Abe Lincoln said that a house divided cannot stand and that a nation half-slave and half-free cannot long endure. It was not the free market that created slavery, but the failure of government to secure the rights of the slaves to be free. Lincoln corrected that failure (in terms of American-American slavery) but could not foresee a day when the government itself would become the slave-master through oppressive tax and regulatory regimes.

Now you would want the government to dictate who can and cannot receive care?

No!

Paul of NJ @ Aug 04, 2009 11:01:32 AM

free market

Honest Abe Lincoln foutght a blooming war against free market to get slaves off the block. And now free market private insurance puts sick on the block! They say have health system like Switzerland with only 14 million people. We have several populations this size uninsured or underinsured and overpriced others for what we have! But, they are ignorant in giving their allegiance to insurancism which is not sought by other countries and which is parasitic on our balance of trade, a drag on our economy and predator in cherry picking young and healthy and lemon dropping old or sick. And this fact is ignored. Switzerland is a solid nuetral country. We are the total opposite of nuetrality!!! The war clause exclusion of private insurances will ruin America one day! Perfectly legal to e-transfer the 80% collected to cover expenses and claims and the other 20% to reward bonuses and dividends and skip!

Dr. Gary W. Hartman of VA @ Aug 04, 2009 10:15:44 AM

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