Slope of Hope Blog Posts
Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.
The Feds Own the West
It is truly remarkable how little land in the western U.S. is privately owned, even these days.
Curb Schlemiel
Very few houses go on the market in Palo Alto, and on my little street, it’s a real rarity. However, recently, a house was put on sale. I took this picture to show it to you.
Canada Hat Tip
In honor of Canada’s big election today, here are a couple of interesting maps with respect to our northern neighbor. First is a diagram of some interesting local foods they enjoy. Jellied moose nose, anyone?
Housing Starts Stalled -Cold Snap & Hot Rates
Unusually cold weather and frigid temperatures from snowstorms slowed the construction of single-family housing units in January. Would-be homebuyers and households holding out to upgrade in the coming months could face even higher costs as tariffs for material imports and hostile mortgage rates put a housing rebound further on ice.
January Freeze Brings Halt to New Housing Starts
Adjusted data show that new housing starts were 8.4% lower in January 2025 compared to December’s revised 2024 figures and approximately 13% down from January 2024. New housing starts for the first month of the year dropped to 993,000 versus 1.08 million the month before. January rates for buildings of five or more units were 355,000.
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