Hold owners of vacant properties accountable

TNT Editorial Board — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:45:08 +0000

This editorial will appear in Friday’s print edition.

The housing market is improving, with inventory going down and prices ticking up. People who had been hesitant to list their homes for sale are rethinking that choice.

But many potential sellers face a challenge: that foreclosed house on the street, maybe even next door. It might have an unmown lawn, trash in the front yard attracting rodents, broken windows, even drug-using squatters living inside.

Who would want to buy a home near that?

These vacant, often-trashed houses are the unfortunate aftermath of the underwater housing crisis – and they’re suppressing …

Economy starting to show some real signs of life . . . maybe

TNT Editorial Board — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:42:54 +0000

This editorial will appear in Thursday’s print edition.

Quick, someone. Knock on wood.

While some signs seem to indicate that the nation really might be lumbering out of the Great Recession that economists say technically ended in June 2009, we’re holding our breath, crossing our fingers and, yes, knocking on wood. We won’t believe it until . . . well, we like to think that we’ll know recovery when we see it. And we sure don’t want to jinx it by proclaiming it a done deal.

OK, so there’s this: The Dow closed above 13,000 Tuesday …

Inside Opinion » housing

Hold owners of vacant properties accountable

Economy starting to show some real signs of life . . . maybe