The quotes below are from a review of a new book by Raghuram Rajan, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, called “Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy.” A sample:
The credit market—at least as regards to housing—was distorted by government policy, not by a sudden and mysterious escalation in “greed.” [...]

Colliers International conducted their 10th annual North America Parking Rate Survey; in many ways, the results aren’t surprising, with Boston ranked as one of the most expensive cities to park your car.
North Ameirca Top 10 Daily Parking Rates:
NYC – Midtown $40.00
Honolulu Hawaii – $32.75
Boston, MA – $32.00
NYC, Downtown – $31.00
Chicago, IL – $31.00
Los Angeles, CA [...]

The Globe takes a look at the coming $300 million Longfellow Bridge renovation – and expansion of sidewalks and bikes lanes. The story is accompanied by a terrific graphic.
The two competing visions for the post-renovation Longfellow have more in common than all the loud arguing suggests: They both strive to make walking and biking across [...]

Timothy Geithner, U.S Treasury Secretary, on the Charlie Rose show discussing the financial reform bill.

This Sunday 10pm on AMC, “Mad Men,” will kick off its new season.
For those of you who don’t watch the show, it basically revolves around a 1960s ad agency in Manhattan. It centers on a cast of characters who drink and smoke as they struggle through their workday.
Then it follows the characters home [...]

Here’s a little something guaranteed to make you feel good: President Obama’s pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, released a list of 17 financial institutions that paid “ill-advised” bonuses during the financial crisis. How much you ask? $1.6 billion in payouts to their top execs. You got that right. While taxpayers were keeping these guys afloat, banking [...]

Joe Nocera has an interesting article in the NYT about FICO credit scores. Banks rely almost exclusively on the FICO scores when making loan decisions — despite the many flaws in the FICO scoring process:
“FICO scores are not the best predictor. The amount of equity a person has in his home, his debt-to-income ratio, his [...]

Reading this article about what’s holding back the housing market, one can’t help but think of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s classic line: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
The piece makes many good points. The main one: High unemployment and economic uncertainty are holding back the market, despite low interest rates and home [...]

Click on this video about the original buyers at Nouvelle who feel burned by the developer and are now seeking concessions as the value of their units plummet.
Excerpts:
(NECN) – The first buyers of Nouvelle condos next to the Natick Collection shopping mall say they were burned.
Some paid up to $1 million for their units, [...]

Independent mortgage bankers made an average $606 on each mortgage they originated in the first quarter 2010, down 32% from $890 in the previous quarter, and profits-per-origination fell 44% from $1,088 a year-ago, according to quarterly survey results by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
Read more.