Time for a new housing boom already? Las Vegas thinks so.
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While Dave Bing is because of the over supply, in sunny Las Vegas and Phoenix, home builders are seeing demand, so . Richard Lee, who can best be described as perpetually optimistic, told the crowd at a new home opening that everyone has a new opportunity to cash in on the next Las Vegas boom. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to come back like you鈥檝e never seen us before.鈥
鈥淔rom the recession鈥檚 lows, construction has nearly doubled in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson. It is up 74 percent in inland Southern California and soaring in Florida,鈥 reports the New York Times.
There are lots of foreclosures on the market, but most buyers don鈥檛 want to buy a house where, as one homebuilder used to put it, 鈥渟omeone else clipped their toenails.鈥 So, two million vacant houses or not, builders are responding to demand. Whether the demand is only stimulated by government tax credits or not, remains to be seen. 鈥淔or the first time in three or four years, we have pent-up demand,鈥 said [Las Vegas homebuilder] American West鈥檚 vice president for sales, Jeff Canarelli.
Stephen F. Auth, chief investment officer at the financial services company Federated Investors, says, 鈥淭he great housing depression is nearly over.鈥
Pent-up demand? Housing depression over? But there are two million vacant houses and likely 15+ million homeowners underwater on their houses? Perhaps the builders have it right, millions will strategically default, walk away, and buy brand new homes for hundreds of thousands of dollars less.
What happens to the abandoned repossessions? Mayor Bing has a plan.
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