Reads for the Weekend

Burnt out on Michael Jackson biographies? Check out some of these stories I’ve not had a chance to post this week:

• The Economist throws water on the idea that slowing declines in the Case-Shiller index means the worst is over for American housing. (Thanks to reader CM for passing this and the CAR snafu along.)
• Why the long faces, Economist? One reason: federal agencies announced this week that defaults on prime loans (the least risky ones) more than doubled in the first quarter compared to a year earlier. (Jim the Realtor says he thinks of me now when he reads about defaulting loans. What a reputation. But check out my recent story about the trouble lurking in subprime’s wake locally if you missed it.)
• The New York Times chronicled the fascinating drama at the Four Seasons, including the trouble in our own backyard. If you’re getting as intrigued by hotel real estate as I am, this one’s definitely worth a read.
• In our pages, my colleague Will Carless tells of a local affordable housing developer’s trouble with the law in other place, and Rich Toscano gives us a graphical look at the changes in local home prices.

Happy Fourth of July from this Canadian-American!

— KELLY BENNETT