A few good conversations

This is my 100th post since I started flying solo in February. Any excuse for a celebration, I say. And since we've picked up a few new readers along the way, I thought I'd review the five posts that have provoked the liveliest discussions to date.

1. Is Boston Housing Too Expensive?
A recent editorial in the Salem News tells the story of Maureen Hentz, a recruiter for a company based in Danvers, who says that job candidates routinely reject her offers of six-figure salaries because they'd rather buy a larger house in another state.

2. Mortgage Haiku
A California mortgage broker, probably trying to fill time once spent arranging mortgages, has taken to writing haikus about the present predicament. Consider the example at right, which bemoans the industry's plight.

3. The 8 Percent Commission
BusinessWeek reports that 8 percent commissions are becoming increasingly common in some parts of the country.The premise is simple: In a tough market, why not give your real estate agent some extra carrots? But I wonder if paying your agent a larger commission helps more than cutting the price by the same amount.

4. Suburban Decay
A provocative piece in the latest Atlantic Monthly argues that the plague of foreclosures in some suburban areas is an early sign of a broader trend toward suburban decay.
"Many low density suburbs and McMansion subdivisions, including some that are affluent today, may become what inner cities became in the 1960s and '70s," writes Christopher Leinberger. "Slums characterized by poverty, crime, and decay.

5. For Sale, This Price Only
Faced with a choice between cutting prices and waiting, many sellers in the Boston area appear to prefer waiting. The number of condos and single-family homes on the market increased 7 percent from January to February, while the number of sales dropped by 13 percent, according to data from the Greater Boston Association of Realtors. A piece in today's New York Times notes that other kinds of sellers don't behave like this.

Enjoyed this post? Get blog updates delivered to your reader. Click here.