Where Housing Prices Are Too Low

While the housing crisis of expensive coastal cities gets all the attention, many parts of the country are challenged with real estate markets that lack the stability to attract investments.

1 minute read

August 21, 2018, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Wild Detroit

An article by Pete Saunders asks us to shift our focus from the skyrocketing real estate prices of booming cities around the country to places where the price of housing is too low.

"Yes, there are places where housing prices and rents are so low that they have the effect of destabilizing all attempts at revitalization," writes Saunders. "And the problem receives far less attention than the challenge of housing affordability."

Saunders is taking a cue from a June report from Brookings "that rightly summed up the issue of housing in America -- it's too expensive, too cheap, or just right, depending on where you live."

"In essence, housing issues are a complex mix of regional issues, not an overarching national one, and the report's authors recommend against using any type of one-size-fits-all policy prescription," adds Saunders.

Saunders goes onto sharpen the focus of the natural attention on affordable housing to what specifically lowers prices in some cities, as well as the challenges caused by depressed real estate values for municipalities and residents.

Thursday, August 9, 2018 in Forbes

View of Interstate 205 bridge over Columbia River with Mt. Hood in background.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project

The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

September 19, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

A derelict sign on a barbed wire fence reads “Golf Course, Private, No Admittance.”

Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like

Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.

September 19, 2023 - The Business Journals

Close-up of red Houston BCycle bike share bikes parked at a station

Houston To End Bike Share Program

Lacking the funding it needs to continue, Houston’s BCycle bike share system will end operations in the coming months.

September 18, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

View from inside glass top floor of Amtrak passenger train with Rocky Mountains scenery outside.

Making Colorado’s Front Range Rail a Reality

Local leaders are scrambling to bring together the funding and political support to create new intercity rail service in the fast-growing region.

29 minutes ago - Governing

Students walking on sunny walkway on college campus.

How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream

Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.

1 hour ago - The Daily

Aerial view of Interstate 35 with blurred traffic and Austin, Texas skyline in background with river in foreground at nighttime.

Austin in Race Against Time to Secure Freeway Cap Funding

With a major freeway expansion project looming, the Texas capital is seeking federal funding to build several freeway ‘decks’ downtown.

2 hours ago - Austin American-Statesman

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.