Chairman Bernanke’s Semiannual Monetary Policy report to the Congress on July 15, 2008 revealed a gloomier picture than once imagined.  As the housing slump continues to erode at homeowner’s equity, the number and frequency of foreclosures in on the rise. Personal consumption has somehow managed to keep pace year to date, however, consumer sentiment has fallen sharply.  [...]

The ubiquitous Starbucks is even trimming the non performers!  At the 2005 International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC) convention in Las Vegas, the word on the street was that people would stop at Starbucks on their way to Bankruptcy court- because that is the culture we have created!  Retail was KING just a few years [...]

In his book “The World is Flat“, Thomas Friedman explains how the world is a giant playing field being leveled, or made attainable by everyone because of the global reach of the internet. Bennett Voyles, a columnist for National Real Estate magazine, wrote “A Gusher of Arab Investment” where he expounds on the challenges facing Arab [...]

The East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EBEDA) report for June 2008; the highlights are:
* East Bay unemployment increased, rising to 5.7 percent from 5.3 percent in April
* Construction, finance and retail trade payrolls continued to post larger-than-average monthly and yearly decreases
* Median home sale values decreased 19 percent in Alameda County and 33 percent in Contra [...]