Category: Theory
26 October, 2009 (12:13) | Capital markets, Finance, Innovations, Microfinance, Regulation, Subprime, Theory, US News | No comments
By: David A. Smith
In business, does motivation matter? Or are markets sufficiently rational that our apologias are meaningless, and we should be judged exclusively by our actions? This philosophical question lies submerged under every new lender and loan product, for every action – extending or denying credit, charging too high a rate – can be [...]
20 October, 2009 (10:07) | Affordability, Apartments, Asset management, Demand, Housing, New York City, Theory, US News | No comments
By: David A. Smith
… is affordability?
Am I up when you’re down?
When the homeownership rate drops, what happens to apartment occupancy? As illustrated by this Wall Street Journal article, the answer depends on two factors:
1. Why homeownership rates are dropping
2. How long it has been since the homeownership drop began
Start with a fact.
Start with [...]
13 October, 2009 (10:54) | Global news, Innovations, MEEs, Research, Theory, US News | No comments
By: David A. Smith
Last week in Washington, as part of the World Habitat Day activities, AHI – in partnership with the National Housing Conference as host and the Housing Partnership Network as a co-sponsor – issued and discussed the Extract of our report, Mission Entrepreneurial Entities: Essential Actors in Affordable Housing Delivery.
It’s all about [...]
28 September, 2009 (10:24) | Ecosystems, MEEs, Markets, Research, Theory, UN Habitat, World Habitat Day | No comments
By: David A. Smith
As part of the multi-day World Habitat Day activities, AHI, along with the National Housing Conference and the Housing Partnership Network, will be sponsoring a presentation and panel discussion on a topic that we think has great relevance, both in the Global South and back home in America.
Being hosted in Washington for [...]
25 September, 2009 (12:12) | Humor, Massachusetts, Politics, Regulation, Taxation, Theory | No comments
By: David A. Smith
Just as bad facts make for bad law, bad laws make for bad behavior and bad administration. Nowhere are these contradictions more visible than when adjacent jurisdictions that have a shared interest in macroeconomic health think they can get away with boundary exploitation by taxing more on our side of the fence [...]