[quote author="Trooper" date=1212900181]<em>"About 10% of the homes built after 2000 are now vacant, according to the Census Bureau, compared with roughly 2% of homes built earlier".</em>
Can this quote be for real ? Is that the whole country ? I mean, I can see this being true in say Phoenix area, Las Vegas, Sacramento.... but perhaps those market vacancies are skewing the average.
If it's true, it's shocking.</blockquote>
Troop, I count three vacant properties in the townhome complex I rent in alone. It's not even new and only has about 30-40 units total. That's basically 10%. In an established neighborhood.
The next door one is vacant, on the MLS. The realtors keep leaving their cards in front of the window. Nobody has bothered to pick up the cards in two weeks. The place that I suspect is a foreclosure moved out a couple months back. A notice for the gas company has been hanging on the door. The windows are open and screen is off. Rain rolled right in. The ceiling fan was taken from the bedroom. The leather theatre recliners and stainless steel fridge is still sitting there. (I suspect it was too big whereever they took off too) The realtor with the sign doesn't return calls. The third unit, I don't know the story.
When I go for a walk, here comes the quad McMansions the guy built for himself and priced way above market. His extended family lives in two. The other two are empty. I can't count the for rent signs and empty houses as I walk around the neighborhood. They are too numerous.
I feel like Cole in The Sixth Sense, except I see empty houses...