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hotspotting

  1. And why do newspapers place so much faith in economists who continually got it wrong throughout 2009? Doesn't credibility count?
  2. Economists forecast a booming economy & soaring interest rates in 2010 – says The Age. Does this sensationalist nonsense ever end?
  3. Hotspotting column in The Australian today debates prospects for 2010 http://bit.ly/6DiqH0
  4. Westpac's Ted Evans complains: It's a pity there has been so much focus on one interest rate only - the standard variable rate for mortgages
  5. There’s so much focus on this interest rate, Ted, because it’s the one that dominates household budgets.
  6. But you can understand his discomfort: Westpac’s standard variable rate is demonstrably higher than every other major lender.
  7. Home building up 9% - but it's Bah! Humbug! from the HIA - http://www.hotspotting.com.au/index.php?act=viewArticle&productId=1885
  8. The HIA remains the saddest mob in the nation. A 9.4% rise in new houses in the Sept Qtr but they’re still complaining & predicting gloom.
  9. Dalrymple Bay coal port nr Mackay is expanding. Newcastle coal port is expanding. A new $4bil coal port at Gladstone. Another nr Rockhampton
  10. Is this the same coal industry that claims it will be devastated by planned responses to global warming?
  11. Gold Coast units continue to struggle. Despite recent price rises, the median unit price ($375,000) is still $20,000 lower than a year ago.
  12. Underquoting is still “rampant” in Melbourne, says the Herald-Sun. Many have reserve prices tens of thousands higher than advertised prices.
  13. A house in my street is going to auction. The agent is dropping fliers in letterboxes urging us to attend “to check out local values”.
  14. What’s the motive? Do they think 1 of us will have a brain-snap & buy it on impulse? No, they want to create a crowd to appease the sellers.
  15. They also want to create the illusion of competition where none exists. All part of the fraud that is the auction process.
  16. The Qld Govt, which is selling state assets because it can't balance its Budget, has nevertheless granted its members a pay rise.
  17. Hotspot of the week: Toowong in Brisbane's west has a good record, improved transort infrastructure in prospect and is good buying value.
  18. The Hotspotting column in The Australian this week focuses on Toowong -http://www.hotspotting.com.au/index.php?act=viewArticleCat&catId=8
  19. Do our chattering economists get anything right? They predicted a jobless rise in November, but the rate has dropped to 5.7%.
  20. Do economists get paid when they get it constantly wrong? Market concensus was 5,000 new jobs in Nov – the real result was 31,000 new jobs.