Real Estate News Bits

What you may have missed this week:

This week was a very busy cluster of reports released ranging from government reports to U-Haul reports (yeah, it’s real) and it looks like good news happens only in targeted areas these days (unless you’re Zillow). One news highlight that caught my eye was the U.S. Census Bureau building permit data revealing the top markets doing well but it is striking that some of the lists of top areas are not by number of units rather by percentage of all buildings which in some areas (small towns, areas of decline) is not as impressive as a major city but regardless, hooray Boulder and sorry, Modesto.

We’ve spent time combing hundreds of articles this week and here are the top highlights:

• Anti-foreclosure bill defeated– how does this change the real estate industry?
• Zillow launches iPhone app, Twitter users go nuts.
• 2008 building permit data released– apparently Decatur, IL is hot or something.
• Homeownership at lowest level since N-Sync was still together.
• Bailout analysis + alphabet soup = awesome.
• S&P/Case-Schiller home price data released this week shows dips as bad as that spoiled crab dip I ate at that wedding last year.
• U-Haul destination report released and apparently people that go mover-less move most frequently to Atlanta, GA.